Barça's bogey team, Atletico Madrid, have once again come away from the Camp Nou with points as the champions threw away a 1 goal lead to drop two points and fall 3 points behind new leaders Sevilla.

Less than a week after losing the FIFA Club World Cup final to Internacional Porto Alegre in Japan, Barça were in action again, at home to the last team in Spain who recorded two victories in one season against the champions.

It was a must win game, what with Sevilla four points clear at the top of La Primera Division and the fact Barça had the chance to pull further clear of 3rd place Real Madrid, who slumped to a 3-0 loss at home to new boys Recreativo de Huelva.

Barcelona started the game well and could of been ahead as early as the second minute, as Eidur Gudjohnsen created a chance for Deco. Unfortionatly, his shot was straight at Atleti keeper Leo Franco. Andres Iniesta was the next player to nearly put Barça, but his volleyed effort went wide of the mark.

Atletico Madrid's best chance came from a freekick mid-way throught the first interval, Antonio Lopez fired in a fierce freekick, but Victor Valdes produced a simply breath taking save to deny the team from the capital the lead.

Barcelona took the lead on 41 minutes with a freekick of their own. Ronaldinho planted it past Leo Franco, who's positioning for the freekick was questionable to say the least.

Barça started the second half in similar fashion to the first, dominating the game and leaving Atleti constantly on the back foot, but as the half went on, the jet lag the players were suffring from was starting to take its toll and when Peter Luccin put in a fantastic through ball to Sergio [Kun] Aguero, the tired Barça central defensive pairing of Lilan Thuram and Carles Puyol could do nothing to prevent the Argentine from putting the ball past Victor Valdes. Thuram had to be substituted straight after the goal as he looked as if he had injured a muscle of some sort.

Rijkaard threw in Ludovic Giuly and pushed Thiago Motta into central defence as the manager tried to push for a winner, a winner which never came.

Barcelona now trail Sevilla by three points, but they do have a game in hand. Should Barça draw level with the Sevilla, they will be top due to their superior head-to-head difference thanks to the 3-1 victory over the side from Andalucia earlier in the season.