Spain: Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona secured a 3-1 win over a spirited Betis side at Camp Nou on Saturday.
Messi converted a 14th-minute penalty and followed up a second spot kick that was blocked by goalkeeper Adan Garrido to seal the lackluster victory in the 86th.
Messi recorded his 24th and 25th league goals of the season - pulling him level with Diego Costa as the league's second-leading scorers behind Cristiano Ronaldo's 28 - but Barcelona again showed problems in defence that Betis failed to fully exploit.
Earlier, Atletico's Raul Garcia scored in the 14th and Diego Simeone's side held out to deny Villarreal in the second half as it stayed undefeated at their Vicente Calderon stadium through 17 league games this season.
"We were tired by the end and that is normal," Simeone said. "We didn't have the strength and energy that we have had on other days, but my team played smart, and when you play smart you make up for the lack of energy to pull out the win."
Real Madrid trail the pacesetters by six points before they visit Real Sociedad without the injured Ronaldo.
Atletico hope Diego Costa will recover from a right thigh injury for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona after they drew 1-1 in the first leg.
Atletico now have six games left as they try to claim their first league title since 1996.
With midfielders Arda Turan and Gabi Fernandez also unavailable, Simeone entrusted David Villa and Raul Garcia to spearhead his attack.
While Villa was ineffective before being substituted with half an hour to play, Garcia again proved his value to Atletico as a versatile attacking midfielder by pushing aside his marker to head in Jorge "Koke" Resurreccion's corner kick.
Atletico relinquished the ball after going in front but managed to continually foil Villarreal's passing attack before they could muster a shot on goal.
Barcelona unfurled a banner in the Camp Nou stands before the match that read "Hands Off La Masia," referring to FIFA's one-year transfer ban after football's governing body found the Catalan club guilty of breaching regulations in signing youth players for their renowned training academy. Barcelona club president Josep Bartomeu also said that he had a "friendly and cordial conversation" with FIFA president Joseph Blatter about the ban.
"We are going through some tough times, but we have managed to isolate ourselves and concentrate on the matches," Barcelona forward Pedro Rodriguez said.
Messi put Barcelona in charge after Alexis Sanchez was fouled by defender Jordi Figueras in the area.
Xavi Hernandez's free kick grazed the crossbar of Adan's goal in the 51st, but Barcelona started to show the same drop in energy that had affected Atletico.
But just when Betis was playing its best, Figueras gifted Barcelona a goal by knocking Adriano's pass into his own net in the 67th.
A minute later substitute Ruben Castro scored for Betis with Barcelona disorganized at the back, using a feint to make two defenders slide to the turf before he poked the ball beyond goalkeeper Jose Pinto.
Messi finally calmed the nervous crowd after Antonio Amaya handled Neymar's cross in the box. Adan saved Messi's first try and even recovered to get a glove on his follow-up effort, only to see the ball trickle over the goalline.
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