The race for the La Liga Santander title is getting tighter after Atletico Madrid dropped points on Sunday. They now lead by only one point after only being able to pull off a 1-1 draw against Real Betis.

Defending champions Real Madrid took the provisional top spot on Saturday after a triumphant 2-1 victory against bitter rivals FC Barcelona in "El Clasico." Real Madrid went up to 66 points with Barcelona on 65. Atletico is holding on to a single-point advantage with 67 points after the Betis draw on Sunday.

The evening started well for Atletico after Yannick Carrasco put them ahead when he tapped in a loose ball in the fifth minute. However, the lead was short-lived as Cristian Tello found the equaliser for Betis with a cushioned finish in the 20th minute mark.

Neither team was able to find another breakthrough even as Atletico bombarded keeper Claudio Bravo's goal in the closing minutes. He was forced to make two fantastic saves in stoppage time to deny the visitors a winning goal.

The draw means that Diego Simeone's side has seen their 10-point lead, which they held at the end of January, disintegrate into a single point. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona are hot on their heels, and the latest setback won't be good for Atletico's morale.

The leaders have only won three of their last 11 games, but they still have a chance to win the title if they get back on winning form. Unfortunately, they might be left without Joao Felix, who went off in the first half against Betis. It is still unclear if he will be sidelined for an extended period.

Meanwhile, both Real Madrid and Barcelona are also suffering from injuries of their own. The final stretch of the season is becoming physically taxing on all the players, and it remains to be seen which manager can take advantage of the players that are available to him.

Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone has seen his Atletico Madrid side blow a big lead at the top of the Spanish league AFP / CRISTINA QUICLER