Atletico Madrid squandered a three-goal lead in a remarkable 3-3 draw at Espanyol, as Vinicius Souza's equaliser ensured Los Colchoneros missed the chance to go second in LaLiga.

After seeing rivals Real Madrid leapfrog them with a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano, Atleti appeared set to move one point clear in the battle to finish as runners-up when they raced into a 3-0 lead.

Saul Niguez struck first with a left-footed finish from a tight angle 21 minutes in, and Antoine Griezmann's 14th league goal of the season put Diego Simeone's men in control on the stroke of half-time.

Atleti further extended their lead within 14 seconds of the restart, Yannick Carrasco converting the rebound when Angel Correa's drive was palmed away by Fernando Pacheco.

But Espanyol, fighting for their lives near the bottom of LaLiga, were in no mood to roll over. Cesar Montes powered a header home from a right-wing corner before Ivo Grbic's foul on Javier Puado allowed Joselu to convert from the penalty spot.

Vinicius then dented Atleti's bid for second with a glancing header from Aleix Vidal's cross 11 minutes from time, but with the hosts three points adrift of safety, it may not be enough to preserve their top-flight status.