The mighty football club FC Barcelona has won the 27th La Liga championship in its club history.
In Sunday’s late game, Barcelona overthrew relegation-ravaged Espanyol 4-2 (3-0) in a local game and sealed their title with four rounds to go.
The three previous national championships had gone to the capital Madrid, while Real had celebrated the championship twice and Atletico once.
Robert Lewandowski scored two goals for the winners, Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde hit once. For Lewandowski, the latter goal was already the 31st of the season and the 21st of the season in La Liga.
The goal-hungry Polish top scorer has scored at least 20 goals in 11 seasons in Europe’s top-5 leagues, now a total of 11. Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (13 times each) have been able to do better in the last 40 years.
However, the celebration of the Barcelona players was unfortunately interrupted when the supporters of the losing team rushed onto the field after the match, past the orderlies. The players of the big club had to run to the players’ tunnel and to the shelters of the locker room to avoid worse punishments.
Barcelona’s previous Spanish title had come without Lionel Messi in the last millennium, in 1999.
The Catalan club has led the Spanish league since the 13th round, and the league’s most solid defense built its championship.
Barcelona has conceded only 13 goals in the 34 matches they have played and they have left their opponents without a goal 25 times in total. At Camp Nou at home, Barcelona has only conceded two goals – one from a penalty kick and the other was an own goal by a Barcelona player.
This is the second title for Barcelona this season. The team previously won the Spanish Super Cup in January.