Barcelona stumbled for the second consecutive weekend in the Spanish league after being held 0-0 by Getafe on Sunday as Atletico Madrid moved within seven points of the leaders. After needing a late equalizer to avoid defeat against crosstown rival Espanyol in the previous round, Barcelona couldn't find the net against mid-table Getafe at Camp Nou Stadium.
Barcelona dominated but wasn't able to create many significant scoring chances, and when it got close, it was stopped by Getafe goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.
Luis Suarez had a goal disallowed for offside just before halftime. It was only the fifth time this season that Barcelona failed to score.
Second-placed Atletico cut into Barcelona's lead by defeating bottom side Malaga 1-0 on Saturday, extending its winning streak to three matches.
Atletico hasn't been this close to the lead since last year when the gap was at six points in the 16th round. Barcelona had an 11-point lead two rounds ago.
