Barcelona lose again 1-2 to Valencia at Camp Nou, and have taken just one point from their last four league games. They are still top, on head-to-head record, but Atletico are level and Real Madrid a point behind.
The team who were unbeaten for months now can’t stop losing. There are five games remaining in what has suddenly turned into a nightmare of title race.
Ivan Rakitic put Valencia ahead 26 minutes into the 1st half, while
Lorenzo Santi Mina made it two for the away side dead at halftime (45 +0:15minutes).
Lionel Messi pulled one back at 63rd minutes, with enough time for Barca to seek to salvage a point but the defense of Valencia stood strong. Messi scored 500th goal but that was not enough to prevent Barca from faltering again
Barcelona completed a miserable week by losing a third consecutive league game for the first time since 2003
Barcelona's defeat means they are level at the top with Atletico Madrid
Lionel Messi's 500th career goal couldn't prevent Barcelona's incredible slump in form from continuing with a fourth defeat in five games 2-1 at home to Valencia on Sunday.
Atletico Madrid are now level on 76 points with Barca at the top of La Liga with five games remaining as they beat Granada 3-0, but the Catalans retain the lead thanks to their superior head-to-head record.
Third-placed Real Madrid are also only a point behind, thanks to their 5-1 win at Getafe on Saturday.
Valencia were beaten 7-0 by Barca on their last trip to the Camp Nou just two months ago, but gained revenge thanks to Ivan Rakitic's own goal and Santi Mina's classy finish before half-time.
Messi ended a five-game goal drought to bring up his 500th for club and country, but couldn't inspire a Barca fightback as their alarming collapse in recent weeks continued after a 39-game unbeaten run.
Having looked well set for a second consecutive treble just two weeks ago, Barca could now miss out on all three major trophies as they were dumped out of the Champions League by Atletico in midweek and have taken just one point from their last four La Liga games.
Barca started brightly, but were repeatedly denied by fine saves from Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves.
The Brazilian blocked Messi's volley from close range before somehow springing to punch away Neymar's lob which seemed destined to evade him.
Valencia had already served a warning of the threat they could cause on the counter-attack when Rodrigo side-footed inches wide from the edge of the area.
However, they amazingly went in at half-time two goals to the good having had just one shot on target.
The visitors went in front on 27 minutes when Rakitic turned Guilherme Siqueira's cross into his own net at the near post.
In contrast to Barca's collapse, Atletico are flying in the final stages of the season as Fernando Torres struck his fourth goal in as many games in a routine win over Granada.
"It will be tough (to win the league), but we will play as the schedule demands us to which is to win, win and win again," said Atletico boss Diego Simeone.
Koke ensured Atletico would have no hangover from their efforts in dispatching Barca from the Champions League in midweek as he swept home the opener on 15 minutes before teeing up Torres to dink home just before the hour mark.
Substitute Angel Correa rounded off the scoring with a cool finish seven minutes from time.
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