Antoine Griezmann cancelled out Cristinao Ronaldo’s opener but the draw leaves Atletico Madrid 11 points behind Barcelona at the top of the table.
Ronaldo scored for his 10th game running at the start of the second half, but Griezmann levelled four minutes later and Barcelona were the big beneficiaries from the Madrid derby draw.
The first half saw Marcelo and Marco Asensio hit the crossbar, while Toni Kroos might have had a penalty, and Jan Oblak denied Dani Carvajal and Ronaldo.
Real Madrid were dominant but it was not until the 53rd minute that they took the lead, when Gareth Bale crossed for Ronaldo to volley home past Oblak.
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However Griezmann levelled after a good move involving Thomas Partey and Vitolo, and that means if Barcelona win four of seven games remaining they will win their 25th league title.