Barcelona ends four-year drought, clinches La Liga title in style

BARCELONA: Barcelona on Sunday clinched its 27th La Liga title and its first for four years after two first-half goals from Robert Lewandowski spurred it to a comfortable 4-2 victory over city rival Espanyol.

Barcelona moved to 85 points from 34 matches and extended its lead at the summit to an unassailable 14 points. There was little time for jubilation, however, as the visiting team had to quickly rush off the pitch after full-time, with several Espanyol fans invading the field after seeing Barcelona start its celebration.

The Catalan giant will have to wait until Saturday to lift the La Liga trophy as it hosts Real Sociedad in front of its jubilant fans at the Camp Nou Stadium. It will no doubt be an emotional occasion for captain Sergio Busquets, who last week announced that he would leave Barcelona at the end of the season, after 15 years of service.

Busquets secured his ninth La Liga title and 32nd crown overall with the club, with his domestic trophy cabinet also including three Champions Leagues, seven Copa del Reys and three FIFA Club World Cups. “I am delighted, I think we had a spectacular campaign and clinched it with a great win,” Busquets told Movistar Plus.

“We are a solid team, a well-oiled squad with an outstanding defence. That is how champions are built. I am proud of what we did the entire season, being solid and regular, winning the games we should and not dropping points. It was a remarkable season and I am so happy to end my history here this way.”

Barcelona was superior to Espanyol and opened the scoring early with a close-range strike by Lewandowski. In the 20th minute, Alejandro Balde, who put it on a plate for Lewandowski’s opener, scored the visitor’s second goal with a tap-in from a Pedri cross.

Lewandowski extended Barcelona’s lead five minutes before the break with another close-range finish, this time from a Raphinha cross. Defender Jules Kounde headed in the tourist’s fourth goal in the 53rd minute, before Javi Puado and Joselu netted for Espanyol.

Barcelona has won 27 of its 34 league matches this season, with its title charge built largely on outstanding defence, which has conceded a measly 13 goals. At home, the team’s defensive numbers are even more impressive with only two goals conceded.

RESULTS: Espanyol 2 (J Puado 73, Joselu 90) lost to Barcelona 4 (R Lewandowski 11 & 40, A Balde 20, J Kounde 53); Real Madrid 1 (M Asensio 70) bt Getafe 0

Magnificent feeling to win crown: Xavi

Barcelona chief Xavi Hernandez said that it was a “magnificent feeling” to clinch his first La Liga title as the manager of the Catalan giant, where he won eight Spanish top-flight crowns as a player. “We are left with a magnificent feeling, more than 10 months of work, of sacrifice. It has been an extraordinary job,” Xavi told Movistar Plus. “For the fans, for the club, winning it was vital for the stability of the project, we must continue on this path. This League [title] means that we are doing things very well, this gives us stability, although we still have the unfinished business of European competition (Barcelona failed to get past the Champions League Round-of-16 in its last three seasons).” Xavi said that he had felt the pressure of delivering success and was glad of the support he received from his family. “I thought about my wife, my parents, my brothers and sisters... the staff who have suffered a lot, those who never fail. We are in Spain and criticism is normal here, it happened to me when I was a player, but I am very stubborn. In the end, the reward comes when there is good work.”