With the dust settling on Barcelona’s open top bus parade, here’s our regular LaLiga columnist to round up a definitive round of action.
By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert
Barcelona get it done
Barcelona are champions of Spain for the 27th time. Going into the weekend, Xavi’s side needed just two points to wrap up the title and they won it in style with an emphatic 4-2 victory away to city rivals Espanyol on Sunday.
The first half at the RCDE Stadium was like a training session at times for Barça as they stormed into a 3-0 lead before the break with two goals from Robert Lewandowski and another scored by Alejandro Balde.
Jules Koundé added a fourth early in the second half and although Espanyol pulled a couple back through Javi Puado and Joselu late on, Barça had let their foot off the pedal by then and this was very much their night as they clinched a first LaLiga title since 2019.
Barça’s players and staff celebrated in the centre circle after the final whistle, but were forced to make a quick exit down the tunnel after a number of Espanyol ultras ran on to the pitch to cut short their party.
“We’re not at our home and I told the players to come inside, out of respect,” Xavi said afterwards.
On the title itself, he said: “It means we are doing things well, that the project is valid. It gives us stability and calm. We are competitive and we are a team.” And he added: “It’s not Xavi’s Liga, it’s Barça’s Liga, a Barça that is growing and evolving and starting a new phase.”
With four games left, Xavi’s side could yet finish the campaign with 97 points, just three fewer than the record of 100 registered by José Mourinho’s Real Madrid in 2011-12 and Tito Vilanova’s Barça the following season.
Barça have conceded just 13 goals all season and are set to break the previous best of 18, while they have kept 25 clean sheets in their 34 games, which is only one short of the record.
Players and staff celebrated with thousands of their fans on a bus tour through the city on Monday, which must have rubbed salt in the wounds of Espanyol’s support, with their team in 19th place and four ponts behind 17th-placed Real Valladolid with just four games left to beat the drop.
Understrength Madrid beat Getafe
On Saturday, Real Madrid beat Getafe 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu in their first league fixture since winning the Copa del Rey the previous weekend.
Marco Asensio scored the only goal of the game in the second half as a much-rotated Real side edged out José Bordalás’ side ahead of their Champions League semi-final second leg against Manchester City on Wednesday.
But there was a scare late in the game as midfielder Eduardo Camavinga went down with a knee injury, sparking concerns that he could miss the biggest game of Madrid’s season.
“He has twisted his knee a little, but he’s stable,” Carlo Ancelotti said. “It’s bothering him a bit, but the most important thing is the stability and he has that 100%. The internal part of his knee is bothering him, but it’s nothing.”
Asked if he was ‘playing with fire’ by picking the French midfielder, the Italian said: “You’re always playing with fire in this job,” he said. “What can I do? I sent out a competitive team because someone complained that we help other teams to not be relegated. I think we will arrive at the semi-final on Wednesday with a [full] squad available and that’s good.”
Madrid’s win also turned out to be quite important as it sent Los Blancos back up to second place in LaLiga, while Getafe are down in 18th, a point behind Valladolid with four games left.
Atlético’s run comes to an end
And Real Madrid stayed second because Atlético surprisingly lost 1-0 at bottom-of-the-table Elche on Sunday.
Elche are already relegated and had won just three matches in the competition all season, but secured a deserved victory over the Rojiblancos after goalkeeper Ivo Grbić – in for the injured Jan Oblak – punched the ball straight to a grateful Fidel Chaves in the area following a long throw from the left.
That was late in the first half and Diego Simeone’s side were unable to find a way back into the game in an off-colour display.
“We made mistakes,” Simeone said. “They were the better team and we lacked conviction. We’ll keep working. Next weekend we have an important step to [secure] Champions League qualification.”
With four games left, that should not be an issue. Atlético are seven points ahead of fourth-placed Real Sociedad, held 2-2 by Girona at the weekend. And Villarreal are in fifth, 12 points back after a stunning 5-1 win over Athletic Club.
Elsewhere…
Meanwhile, Valencia took a huge step towards survival by beating Celta Vigo 2-1 at Balaidos on Sunday as Alberto Mari’s late header sealed all three points for Rubén Baraja’s side. Valencia are now three points clear of the bottom three and are at home to Real Madrid next weekend in what could be a good time to face Los Blancos.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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