A dominant yet wasteful Real ravaged their rivals in the first half while spurning a string of clear chances at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A second-string Barcelona side were beaten 2-0 at Deportivo Coruna in the Primera Liga on Saturday.
La Liga champions Barcelona fell to their first opening day defeat of the season in 11 years when they were beaten 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao thanks to a sensational late overhead kick from veteran striker Aritz Aduriz.
Catalans will have to cope without their inspirational captain Andres Iniesta, the man who has pedigree when it comes to beating the Blues.
La Liga leaders Barcelona earned a narrow 1-0 win over Real Valladolid to move seven points clear at the top, while Real Madrid lost 2-1 at home against Girona to fall to third behind Atletico Madrid.
World number one Rafael Nadal won his fifth consecutive Barcelona Open title on Sunday with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Spanish compatriot David Ferrer.
Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw at relegation-fighting Las Palmas on Thursday in an unexpected setback that left them with a five-point lead in La Liga ahead of their top-of-the-table showdown with Atletico Madrid this weekend.
Here are five talking points from the weekend in La Liga:
The Indian ace was involved in a 20-move draw with the Israeli Grandmaster, which kept his half point lead intact at the World Chess Championship.
Images from football matches played in the La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga on Saturday.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has recognised that former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho needs to leave the club if he is to revive his career. Laporta admitted that the club might find it difficult to sell the 28-year-old Brazilian, who suffered a series of injury and fitness problems this season.
Leaders Real Madrid beat Barcelona 1-0 at the Nou Camp to take a vice-like hold on the Spanish Primera Liga title race.
Barcelona's star striker Lionel Messi, who completed a decade at FC Barcelona on Thursday, used social media to reach out to his fans, thanking them for their support.
La Liga champions Barcelona slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat at struggling Leganes and Real Madrid were resoundingly beaten 3-0 by Sevilla on Wednesday as Spain's two biggest clubs lost on the same day for the first time since January, 2015.
Barcelona struck early through teenager Bojan Krkic and survived a series of late scares to claim a 1-0 win over Schalke 04 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.
Here are five talking points from the weekend's action in La Liga.
Barcelona surrendered a two-goal lead to slump to a shock 3-2 defeat at Real Betis in the La Liga.
Atletico Madrid fell to their heaviest league defeat of the season
Marco Asensio's strike earned Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol to send them top of La Liga and Thomas Lemar scored his first goal for Atletico Madrid in a 2-0 victory at Getafe on Saturday.
Barcelona closed to within four points of Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga after the leaders lost 3-2 at home to Valencia.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Barcelona have been frighteningly good at home this season, scoring 15 goals in three games at the Nou Camp.
Barcelona will attempt to give Luis Enrique his 100th victory in his 125th game in charge of the team when they play at Athletic Bilbao in la Liga on Sunday. A former Barca player, the 46-year-old led them to a La Liga, King's Cup and Champions League treble in his first year in charge and the domestic double last season. The Catalans started the campaign with a 5-0 aggregate triumph over Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup and a 6-2 victory over Real Betis in La Liga.
Karim Benzema made history at Real Madrid, the battle for the top four continues to heat up
Second-placed Barcelona failed to keep the pressure on leaders Real Madrid after scrambling a 1-1 draw at Sevilla in the Primera Liga.
Barcelona's fourth defeat of the season left them seventh in the standings on 14 points after 10 games, 12 points behind leaders Atletico.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday
A lethargic-looking Barcelona were held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man Racing Santander in their opening match of the season.
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde's conservatism was cited by the Spanish media as the main reason for their 3-0 defeat at AS Roma on Tuesday that led to a shock Champions League quarter-final elimination being regarded as 'a historic debacle'.
Barcelona defender Dani Alves has agreed a two-year contract extension to the end of the 2016-17 season with an option for a further year, the Spanish and European champions said on Tuesday.
Real Madrid stretched their lead at the top to four points after beating Racing Santander 3-1 at home while arch-rivals Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw at Espanyol in the Catalan derby. Real skipper Raul steered his side to their seventh win in seven games at the Bernabeu when he took his tally for the season to eight goals with a classy double.
The Frenchman, voted the world's third best player of 2016, has been the subject of intense transfer speculation since signing a new contract with Atletico in May 2017.
The Catalans made a lethargic start and fell behind in the 16th minute when striker Joseba Llorente bundled the ball into the net but they salvaged a point when Ronaldinho equalised with a neat finish just before halftime.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Spanish soccer's 'El Clasico' encounters between Barcelona and Real Madrid will happen in December and April, two of the most anticipated games of the 2016-17 Primera Division season whose fixtures were announced on Friday. Defending champions Barca host Real on Dec. 4 at the Camp Nou. The reverse fixture will take place on April 23, at the Bernabeu stadium, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed after the draw. As the La Liga season kicks off, Barca will begin their title defence at home to Real Betis on Aug. 21.
Real Madrid were dumped out of the Copa del Rey at the quarter-final stage on Thursday after losing 4-3 at home to Real Sociedad, while record 30-times winners Barcelona were sent crashing out of the Copa del Rey in a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao.
The Spanish champions have decided to stick with tradition and not have a sponsors logo on their team shirts.
Madrid-based daily Marca added that the group of supporters were also heckling ex-River player Mascherano, criticising him for "forgetting" his roots
Lionel Messi scored yet another hat-trick and surpassed 400club goals as Barcelona came from behind to win the Catalan derby 5-1 against Espanyol.
Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick, including an exquisite second goal, as Barcelona strolled into the Club World Cup final with a 3-0 win over Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande on Thursday.
