Madrid  - Barcelona are now six points ahead in the Spanish Liga after a 2-0 home defeat on Saturday of Athletic Bilbao and after Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by lively crosstown rivals Atletico.

Barca's first win in four games leaves them with 63 points from 26 games, six more than Real.

"We really had to win tonight," said Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets, who headed in the first goal.

The game in the Camp Nou was a dress rehearsal for the May 13 King's Cup final between the two teams, to be played in Valencia.

In the 17th minute Bilbao playmaker Fran Yeste missed a clear chance to put the visitors ahead. Just 30 seconds later, Xavi sent over a perfect free-kick for young Busquets to score his first league goal.

In the 32nd minute Barca were given a dubious penalty for a supposed foul by Carlos Gurpegui on Andres Iniesta. Lionel Messi made no mistake from the spot, with his trusty left foot.

The one-way traffic continued into the second half. Man-of-the- match Iniesta hit the Bilbao post; Samuel Eto'o, desperately seeking his first goal for a month, hit the woodwork twice; Thierry Henry came close to making it 3-0 three times.

In Madrid, meanwhile, Real were prevented by Atletico from scoring their 11th straight league win.

In fact, Atletico should have beaten Real for the first time since 1999 - and would have done so had they been sharper in front of goal.

In the 39th minute Diego Forlan deservedly put Atletico ahead with a fierce right-foot drive, after Sergio Aguero had broken free down the left.

As so often in the past 10 years, Atletico wasted good chances to bury Real. And in the 57th minute Klaas Jan Huntelaar made it 1-1 from an offside position after being set up by substitute Gonzalo Higuain.

Atletico left the Bernabeu complaining about the referee, after a good penalty claim by Aguero against Sergio Ramos had been turned down.

Later on Sunday, fourth-placed Villarreal are at home to lowly Espanyol. (dpa)