<p>Title rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid stayed locked together at the top of La Liga after they played out an intense 0-0 draw with few genuine chances at the Calderon on Saturday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Not even the introduction of Barca’s fit-again World Player of the Year Lionel Messi at half-time or Brazil forward Neymar with just over 20 minutes left could break the deadlock and both teams have 50 points at the halfway stage of the campaign.<br /><br />“They are a very, very compact side, one of the best teams in Europe and physically very strong,” Barcelona captain Xavi said. <br /><br />“Normally in the final 15, 20 minutes against them is when we finish stronger and have chances to score but it was a finely-balanced game and Atletico are a great team,” he added. <br /><br />The result was good news for third-placed Real Madrid, who can close to within three points of the joint leaders -- Barca are top on goal difference -- with a win at Espanyol, the only team to beat Atletico this season, on Sunday.<br /><br />Real lost 1-0 at home to Atletico at the end of September and went down 2-1 at Barca in October’s “Clasico” but have not been beaten since then and are likely to be challenging for the title when the league reaches its climax in May. <br /><br />Saturday’s closely-fought encounter was similar to the home and away clashes between Barcelona and Atletico in the season-opening Spanish Super Cup, when they drew 1-1 at the Calderon in the first leg before the return at the Nou Camp ended 0-0. Celta Vigo inflicted a first defeat on Valencia’s new coach Juan Antonio Pizzi with a 2-1 home victory, while fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao moved to 36 points, four clear of Real Sociedad in fifth, with a 6-1 win over promoted Almeria at the San Mames.<br /><br />In the late game, Sevilla snatched a 1-1 draw at lowly Elche with an 89th minute equaliser by Daniel Carrico and stay seventh on 30 points, one behind Villarreal who host Sociedad on Monday.</p>
<p>Title rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid stayed locked together at the top of La Liga after they played out an intense 0-0 draw with few genuine chances at the Calderon on Saturday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Not even the introduction of Barca’s fit-again World Player of the Year Lionel Messi at half-time or Brazil forward Neymar with just over 20 minutes left could break the deadlock and both teams have 50 points at the halfway stage of the campaign.<br /><br />“They are a very, very compact side, one of the best teams in Europe and physically very strong,” Barcelona captain Xavi said. <br /><br />“Normally in the final 15, 20 minutes against them is when we finish stronger and have chances to score but it was a finely-balanced game and Atletico are a great team,” he added. <br /><br />The result was good news for third-placed Real Madrid, who can close to within three points of the joint leaders -- Barca are top on goal difference -- with a win at Espanyol, the only team to beat Atletico this season, on Sunday.<br /><br />Real lost 1-0 at home to Atletico at the end of September and went down 2-1 at Barca in October’s “Clasico” but have not been beaten since then and are likely to be challenging for the title when the league reaches its climax in May. <br /><br />Saturday’s closely-fought encounter was similar to the home and away clashes between Barcelona and Atletico in the season-opening Spanish Super Cup, when they drew 1-1 at the Calderon in the first leg before the return at the Nou Camp ended 0-0. Celta Vigo inflicted a first defeat on Valencia’s new coach Juan Antonio Pizzi with a 2-1 home victory, while fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao moved to 36 points, four clear of Real Sociedad in fifth, with a 6-1 win over promoted Almeria at the San Mames.<br /><br />In the late game, Sevilla snatched a 1-1 draw at lowly Elche with an 89th minute equaliser by Daniel Carrico and stay seventh on 30 points, one behind Villarreal who host Sociedad on Monday.</p>