Juan Angel Albin's 90th-minute goal led 9-man Getafe to a 1-0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday, when Atletico snapped a two-game losing streak and Sevilla lost its fourth straight Spanish league game.
Albin controlled Javier Casquero's headed pass inside the area before firing a left-footed shot past Diego Lopez to secure the Madrid club's third straight win.
Getafe finished with nine players after Albin was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for celebrating.
Getafe played with 10 men from the 41st when Cata Diaz was sent off for a foul on Nilmar.
Third-place Villarreal managed few clear-cut chances despite that and remained on 30 points from 15 games. Getafe and Atletico are joint-sixth with 23 points.
"The team is playing very well, feeling very confident and very good and that's why we're getting the results," Getafe coach Jose Miguel "Michel" Gonzalez said. "It's a victory to celebrate and savor."
Sergio Aguero scored a brace as Atletico beat Deportivo La Coruna 2-0.
Daniel Aranzubia tripped up Aguero in the fourth minute to set up Diego Forlan's penalty, which the Deportivo goalkeeper saved. Three minutes later, Aguero capped a sprint down the right side and into the area by cutting back to beat Aranzubia.
Raul Garcia then played the Argentina striker into the area in the 35th for his seventh score of the season. Aguero hesitated before flipping past Aranzubia with his right foot.
Aguero missed his hat trick by inches as his 89th-minute shot rolled across goal and past the far post. Despite Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores being suspended for the match, the hosts managed 15 chances on goal to Deportivo's one.
Pablo Piatti scored two second-half goals to lead Almeria 3-1 over Sevilla for its first win in 10 games.
The linesman ruled Fabian Vargas' header crossed the goal line in the 48th for Almeria's opener before Piatti scored from an impressive long-range shot in the 81st that came off the underside of the crossbar.
Frederic Kanoute - who had a first-half penalty saved - directed Lautaro Acosta's short pass over goalkeeper Diego Alves in the 83rd, and Piatti sealed Sevilla's fifth straight loss overall in the 90th as he backheeled Albert Crusat's centering pass beyond Andres Palop.
Almeria remained in the drop zone with 13 points, while Sevilla was 10th with 20 points.
At the Coliseum Alfonso Perez, Brazil striker Nilmar led Villarreal's attack with Giuseppe Rossi suspended, while fullback Joan Capdevila returned from injury.
The hosts lost Diaz when the Argentine defender was sent off for chopping Nilmar down as he was about to step into the area. Marcos Senna curled the resulting free kick over goal.
Villarreal enjoyed the better share of possession but created few shots, with goalkeeper Jordi Codina blocking Nilmar's close-range effort before the break.
Nicolas "Miku" Ladislao looked to have tipped home the winner in the 88th only for the goal to be waived away for offside, although TV replays showed Capdevila likely played the Venezuela striker on.
But Albin made that a moot point with his winner.
Villarreal coach Juan Carlos Garrido said the referee's decisions throughout favored Getafe.
"That allowed them to organize and break out on the counterattack," Garrido said.
Vargas blocked Renato's cross with his hand as it came into the area, but Kanoute shot the 21st-minute penalty straight at Diego Alves.
Renato blocked Kalu Uche's header and then cleared Vargas' header from the rebound before the linesman ruled the ball crossed the goal line.
Kanoute quickly answered Piatti's screamer that went off the underside of the crossbar. But Sevilla was down to 10 men when Alexis Ruano was sent off just before Piatti's fifth score of the season for coach Jose Luis Oltra's first win since taking charge two games ago.
"The reality is what it is," said Sevilla coach Gregorio Manzano whose team's progression in the Europa League is on the line this week. "We haven't had much luck lately."
A minute's silence was held before the start of the match at Vicente Calderon Stadium for former Atletico goalkeeper and coach Marcel Domingo. The Frenchman died at age 86.
Barcelona leads the standings with 37 points ahead of Sunday's game against Real Sociedad while Real Madrid - which has 35 points - is at last-place Zaragoza. Espanyol, which plays Athletic Bilbao, is fourth with 28 points.
Also on Sunday, Sporting Gijon plays Levante, Hercules is up against Malaga and Racing Santander is at Mallorca.
Valencia plays Osasuna on Monday.
