Atletico defeat by Athletic Bilbao hands initiative to Barcelona

Atletico Madrid's title hopes suffered a setback on Sunday as a shock defeat away at Athletic Bilbao handed Barcelona the upper-hand in a thrilling race at the top of La Liga. 

Real Madrid's draw with Real Betis on Saturday gave Atletico the chance to pull further clear but instead they end the weekend with their lead reduced, a 2-1 loss at San Mames the latest twist in Europe's most unpredictable domestic chase. 

Barca had earlier beaten Villarreal by the same scoreline, with Antoine Griezmann's quick-fire double becoming all the more valuable after another Atletico slip.