Real Madrid played out a goalless draw against Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real, beaten by Sevilla in midweek, could have overtaken Barcelona, who drew against Athletic Bilbao earlier.
Welshman Gareth Bale volleyed an effort narrowly wide before being replaced at half-time because of injury.
Atletico’s best chance fell to Antoine Griezmann, but the Frenchman’s dinked shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgium goalkeeper’s former Chelsea team-mate Diego Costa was a peripheral figure and has now gone 16 league games without a goal.
Real were the better side in the second half but did not fully test goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who smothered Marco Asensio’s shot and palmed away Dani Carvajal’s strike.