BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Barcelona was held at Valencia to 1-1 in the Spanish league on Saturday, remaining winless for a third straight game and falling further behind in the title race.
Joao Felix put Barcelona ahead in the 55th minute. He had to only tap in a cross by Raphinha after Frenkie de Jong played the Brazil forward clear with a precise lobbed pass with the tip of his boot.
Barcelona looked close to adding to the lead but midfielder Hugo Guillamon pulled Valencia level in the 70th by scoring from the edge of the box after the visitors failed to clear a cross.
Coach Xavi Hernandez called the game "a final'' after losing to Girona last weekend and then falling at Antwerp midweek in the Champions League -- despite already qualifying for the knockout rounds.
The stalemate at Mestalla Stadium means surprise leader Girona is six points ahead of third-placed Barcelona before it hosts Alaves on Monday. Real Madrid is four points clear of Barcelona before hosting Villarreal on Sunday.
``Any result other than taking the three points here is a blow for us,'' Barcelona midfielder Pedri Gonzalez said. ``We played better than we did against Girona but not good enough. It is clear that we are not in a good moment. That happens over the course of a season but we need to pull out of this now.''
ATLETICO STUMBLES
Spain winger Nico Williams struck a superb goal to help Athletic Bilbao beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 and close on the top four spots that earn Champions League berths.
After Gorka Guruzeta's 51st-minute opener at San Mames Stadium, Williams appeared to be well marked by defenders Mario Hermoso and Axel Witsel when he executed a quick cut back and lashed the ball in from a tight angle in the 64th.
Fifth-placed Bilbao moved to within two points of fourth-placed Atletico, which has a game in hand.
Nico and brother Inaki Williams hit the post in the first half while Oihan Sancet squandered a penalty shot that he sent over the crossbar. Nico Williams earned the spot kick when he was tripped by Caglar Soyuncu in the Turkey defender's first start for Atletico.
"This is our fortress," Nico Williams said about San Mames, where Bilbao has only one loss in nine games. "Just go forward game by game and hope we can reach European competitions (next season)."
Jon Rahm, whose signing for the Saudi-funded LIV tour stunned the golf world, took an honorary kickoff wearing a red-and-white scarf for the home side. Rahm's birthplace is near Bilbao in the northern Basque Country region.
ALONSO OUT
Sevilla fired coach Diego Alonso after the team hit a new low with a 3-0 loss at home to Getafe.
Since Alonso arrived in October, Sevilla has not won in eight league games and lost all four of its Champions League matches, finishing bottom of its group. Its only two wins since Alonso replaced Jose Mendilibar, who led Sevilla to the Europa League title last season, have come against lower-division rivals in the Copa del Rey.
Sevilla is in 16th place but level on points with Celta Vigo and Cadiz, which is in the drop zone in 18th.
Getafe striker Borja Mayoral converted a penalty for his 10th goal of the season, second most to Jude Bellingham's 12 for Real Madrid.
FIRST HOME WIN
Rafa Benitez earned some relief after his Celta won its first home game by edging Granada 1-0 to exit the relegation zone.
The match was the first for Celta since Marian Mourino became the first woman to preside over the club, and the only woman to lead a top-flight club in Spain.
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