Atletico Madrid lost to Espanyol 3-0 in the Spanish league on Saturday, missing a chance to secure second place.
A draw would have been enough for Atletico but it conceded a goal in each half in the away loss to mid-table Espanyol.
Atletico can still clinch a runner-up finish this weekend if third-placed Real Madrid loses or draws against Villarreal on Sunday.
Real Madrid is nine points behind Atletico with three games left, but it holds the head-to-head tiebreaker between the city rivals.
Atletico is seeking consecutive top-two finishes in the Spanish league for the first time since 1973-74. That was also the last time Real Madrid finished out of the top two in consecutive years.
