Atletico Madrid's title hopes were further damaged after it conceded two late goals in a 2-1 loss at Villarreal on Sunday, allowing Barcelona to open an 11-point lead in the Spanish league with nine matches remaining.
Second-place Atletico looked set to keep pace with Barcelona until Enes Unal led Villarreal to a come-from-behind win with goals in the 82nd minute and in injury time.
Antoine Griezmann had put Atletico ahead by converting a first-half penalty kick at Ceramica Stadium.
"We were controlling the game well but in the end they took advantage of those two plays," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. "We have to keep doing what we have been doing, keep trying to win as many points as possible."
Barcelona earlier defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 at Camp Nou Stadium with another stellar performance by Lionel Messi, who scored a goal and helped set up the other.
Atletico striker Vitolo was sent off after Villarreal's second goal for shoving an opponent.
Villarreal moved to fifth place with its second straight victory.
MESSI THRIVES AGAIN
Messi added to his scoring streak with a first-half goal in Barcelona's win against Athletic, netting his eighth goal in six matches with a firm, low shot from outside the area in the 30th minute. He was also involved in the runup to Barcelona's first goal, a shot by Paco Alcacer from near the penalty spot after a low cross by Jordi Alba.
"Every day Messi shows he can do something different," said Alcacer, who hadn't scored in nearly three months.
Messi set the pace from the start and Barcelona was always in control at Camp Nou, comfortably earning its fourth straight win in all competitions.
The Argentina playmaker had scored twice in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday, helping the Catalan club reach the quarterfinals of the European competition.
Messi took his Spanish league-leading scoring tally to 25 goals, four more than teammate Luis Suarez and seven ahead of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi has scored at least a goal in his last six matches. He did not play in Barcelona's 2-0 win at Malaga in the previous league round because of the birth of his third son.
Athletic dropped to 13th in the 20-team standings.
Ronaldo scores 4 goals as Madrid beats Girona 6-3
Cristiano Ronaldo extended his impressive scoring run by scoring four goals in Real Madrid's 6-3 rout of Girona in the Spanish league on Sunday.
Ronaldo scored once in the first half and three times in the second, reaching 21 goals in his last 11 matches in all competitions. The Portugal star also set up Lucas Vazquez's goal at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Gareth Bale scored Madrid's other goal.
Ronaldo has scored at least one goal in his last eight matches. He took his league tally to 22 goals, one more than Barcelona's Luis Suarez and three behind league top scorer Lionel Messi.
It was the fourth straight win in all competitions for Madrid, which regained third place from Valencia. The defending champions moved within four points of second-place Atletico Madrid, which lost 2-1 at Villarreal earlier Sunday. Madrid remains 15 points behind league leaders Barcelona, which defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 at Camp Nou Stadium.
Ronaldo opened the scoring with a left-footed shot from inside the area after a low cross by Toni Kroos in the 11th, added a second with his left foot in the 47th, secured his hat trick from close range in the 64th and closed the scoring from near the penalty spot after another pass by Kroos in injury time. Ronaldo also made the pass for Vazquez's 59th-minute strike.
Bale's goal came in the 86th after an assist by Luka Modric.
Christian Stuani scored twice for Girona — a first-half equalizer and a 67th-minute header to make it 4-2 to Madrid. Defender Juanpe Ramirez scored the team's third goal in the 88th.
Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane rested defender Sergio Ramos, and started the match with Bale, Modric, Isco and Casemiro on the bench.
The result halted Girona's three-match winning streak. The Catalan club, impressing in its first season in the top flight, remains in seventh place and still with a chance to qualify for the Europa League next season. It trails sixth-place Sevilla by two points and fifth-place Villarreal by four points.
SEVILLA AT RISK
Sevilla lost 2-1 to Leganes, putting at risk its chances of securing a Europa League spot.
The loss in southern Madrid could drop Sevilla to seventh in the standings, the last qualification spot for the second-tier European competition. It had already lost fifth place when Villarreal defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1, and it could also be surpassed by Girona, which plays later Sunday at Real Madrid.
Sevilla's recent struggles in the league left it virtually out of contention for a Champions League spot. It trails fourth-place Madrid by 12 points.
Sevilla was coming off a loss to third-place Valencia in the previous round. It stayed alive in the Champions League by eliminating Manchester United in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Unai Bustinza put Leganes in front with a header in the 41st minute at Butarque Stadium, sending the ball over goalkeeper Sergio Rico after a pass by Nabil El Zhar across the penalty area.
Javier Eraso added to the lead for the hosts in the 69th with a shot from near the penalty spot after a low cross by Diego Rico. Sevilla's lone goal was scored by Miguel Layun in the 90th.
Sevilla midfielder Pablo Sarabia was sent off in the 84th for a hard foul that prompted a second yellow card.
It was the second win in three matches for Leganes, which earlier had endured an eight-game winless streak.
Leganes was eliminated by Sevilla in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey last month.
CELTA HELD
Celta Vigo could not manage more than a 0-0 draw against last-place Malaga, moving further away from a Europa League spot.
The disappointing performance at home left Celta in 10th place.
Malaga, which has only 14 points from 29 matches, had lost seven straight games.