Uruguayan Diego Forlan and Portugal's Simao Sabrosa strike to give the Madrid club a 2-1 home win and cut Barca's advantage over Real to two points.
Diego Forlan's clinical finish and a superb Simao Sabrosa free-kick fired Atletico Madrid to a 2-1 home win over previously unbeaten La Liga leaders Barcelona on Sunday.
Second-placed Real Madrid's 3-0 win at bottom club Xerez on Saturday had trimmed Barca's lead at the top of the league table to two points, and Pep Guardiola's side, missing five first-team defenders through suspension or injury, failed to respond.
With 22 matches played, Barca have 55 points, Real 53, and Valencia, who were held 1-1 at mid-table Sporting Gijon on Saturday, 43.
Erratic Atletico, who are through to the King's Cup final, are 11th in the league with 27 points.
Jose Antonio Reyes played Forlan through to score Atletico's first goal in the ninth minute and the home side doubled its lead in the 23nd minute when Simao arrowed a free-kick past Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled a goal back for the visitors four minutes later when he was left unmarked at the back post at a corner and volleyed high into the net from close range.
The tall Swedish striker was twice denied by well-timed challenges from defender Luis Perea at the start of the second half and Valdes did well to keep out a fierce drive from striker Sergio Aguero.
La Liga summaries on Sunday
Atletico Madrid 2 (Diego Forlan 9, Simao 23) Barcelona 1(Zlatan Ibrahimovic 27)
Sevilla 1 (Luis Fabiano 35) Osasuna 0
Getafe 2 (Francisco Casquero 56, Roberto Soldado 71) Almeria 2 (Pablo Piatti 47, Fernando Soriano 90+2)
Racing Santander 0 (Red card: Mohamed Tchite 79) Malaga 3 (Weligton 9, Felipe Caicedo 35, Obinna 67)
Espanyol 2 (Joan Verdu 39, Jose Callejon 60) Deportivo Coruna 0 (Red card: Antonio Tomas 55)
Real Valladolid 1 (Diego Costa 22) Real Zaragoza 1 (Humberto Suazo 39, Red card: Ander Herrera 65)
Played on Saturday
Villarreal 2 (Joan Capdevila 5, Nilmar 45, Red card: Diego Godin 90+1) Athletic Bilbao 1 (Igor Gabilondo 24, Red cards: Javi Martinez 90+1, Pablo Orbaiz 90+4, Missed penalty: Andoni Iraola 89)
Xerez 0 Real Madrid 3 (Alvaro Arbeloa 64, Cristiano Ronaldo 69, 71)
Sporting Gijon 1 (Diego Castro 6) Valencia 1 (Juan Mata 76)
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