Sevilla squandered the chance to take over the lead of the Spanish first division when they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Racing Santander on Sunday.
Barcelona had gifted Sevilla a great opportunity to replace them as the league leaders when Diego Milito scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win for Real Zaragoza on Saturday.
It means Barcelona remain on course for their third successive La Liga crown.
PHOTO: AP
Barca have 56 points from 29 games, with nine games remaining, with Sevilla having now reduced their advantage to one point.
"We did everything we could to try and get a goal but Racing defended well and managed to contain us whenever we went forward," lamented Sevilla coach Juande Ramos.
Sevilla's Brazilian international right back Daniel Alves hit the crossbar after 32 minutes while Duda and Alexandr Kerzhakov also spurned chances to grab a late winner for the hosts.
PHOTO: AP
The Spanish league's leading scorer Fredi Kanoute, although he has now been joined at the top of the rankings by Milito with 19 goals, started on the bench for the second successive game.
Ramos intended to rest Kanoute ahead of their UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg match at Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday but sent him on after 68 minutes in an ultimately fruitless bid to break the deadlock.
Third-placed Real Madrid took advantage of the leading pair dropping points to edge closer to their championship rivals with a 2-0 win over Osasuna.
Real are now only one point behind Sevilla and two behind their bitter rivals Barca.
"I'm not going to talk about the percentage chance of taking the title. We will have to go game-by-game to the end of the season," Real coach Fabio Capello said.
Raul Gonzalez opened the scoring midway through the first half with a left foot shot from just outside the six yard box after being left unmarked.
Robinho added Real's second goal 10 minutes from time, after Osasuna goalkeeper Ricardo Lopez had batted away a Gonzalo Higuain cross straight to the feet of the Brazilian striker.
Atletico Madrid remain sixth after their 1-0 win at Villarreal, the only goal of the game coming from a Fabiano Eller header after 31 minutes.
Fernando Torres had a chance to put Atletico further ahead but the Spanish international striker missed his fourth penalty in the league this season three minutes from time.
Recreativo Huelva move up to seventh and maintain their dreams of playing in Europe for the first time next season after their 4-2 win over relegation-threatened Celta Vigo.
A penalty apiece preceded a tumultuous last five minutes which saw four goals.
Romanian striker Laurentino Rosu pounced on Celta's wobbly defense to score twice in little more than two minutes to put Recreativo seemingly in control.
Nene then got one back for Celta in the dying seconds of normal time before Recreativo midfielder Cheli Gonzalez secured three points in injury time.
Relegation looks increasingly likely for Gimnastic Tarragona and Real Sociedad after they suffered 1-0 losses away from home, to Deportivo La Coruna and Espanyol, respectively.
The two bottom clubs are now eight points away from climbing out of the relegation zone after Levante drew 1-1 with Real Betis.
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