Club Atlético de Madrid inflicted FC Barcelona's first Liga defeat since May with a 2-1 victory at the Vicente Calderón which leaves the European champions just two points clear of title rivals Real Madrid CF.

Already shorn of several first-team regulars, Barça suffered another injury blow seven minutes in when Seydou Keita hobbled off with what appeared to be a hamstring problem. Things got worse two minutes later as José Antonio Reyes threaded a perfectly weighted pass in behind the visitors' defence for Diego Forlán to run on to and finish adroitly. Simão (23) then curled a sublime free-kick into the top corner and although Zlatan Ibrahimović (27) soon reduced the arrears with a volley at the far post, Josep Guardiola's team could find no way back.

Sevilla FC, meanwhile, leapfrogged RCD Mallorca – who play CD Tenerife on Monday – into fourth with a 1-0 home win against mid-table CA Osasuna thanks to Luis Fabiano's header ten minutes before half-time. RC Deportivo La Coruña could also have climbed above Mallorca, and to within a point of Sevilla, but lost 2-0 at RCD Espanyol, for whom Joan Verdú (39) and José María Callejón (59) were on target. Deportivo's Antonio Tomás was sent off after 55 minutes.

Elsewhere, lowly UD Almería drew 2-2 with Getafe CF courtesy of Fernando Soriano's added-time equaliser, while Málaga CF moved five points clear of the bottom three after winning 3-0 at Real Racing Club, who had Mohammed Tchité dismissed late on. Real Zaragoza played the final 25 minutes of a 1-1 draw at relegation rivals Real Valladolid CF with ten men after Ander Herrera was given his marching orders.