Sevilla squandered the chance to take over the lead of the Spanish first division when they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Racing Santander on Sunday. Barcelona had gifted Sevilla a great opportunity to replace them as the league leaders when Diego Milito scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win for Real Zaragoza on Saturday.
It means Barcelona remain on course for their third successive La Liga crown.
The Catalan club have 56 points from 29 games, and nine games remaining in one of the closest title races of recent years, with Sevilla having now reduced their advantage to one point.
Sevilla's Brazilian international right back Daniel Alves hit the crossbar after 32 minutes while Duda and Alexandr Kerzhakov also spurned chances to grab a late winner for the hosts.
The Spanish league's leading scorer Fredi Kanoute, although the French-born Malian striker has now been joined at the top of the rankings by Milito with 19 goals, started on the bench for the second successive game.
Juande Ramos intended to rest Kanoute ahead of their UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg match at Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday but the Sevilla coach sent him on after 68 minutes in an ultimately fruitless bid to break the deadlock.