Barcelona Clinch 28th LaLiga Title with 2-0 Victory Over Espanyol
BARCELONA, May 15 (Reuters) – Barcelona secured their 28th LaLiga title on Thursday, defeating local rivals Espanyol 2-0. The win ensured an unassailable seven-point lead over second-place Real Madrid with just two games remaining.
After a 4-3 defeat at Barcelona on Sunday, Real Madrid needed to win all their remaining matches and hope Barcelona earned no more than one point. However, their title aspirations ended when Lamine Yamal scored a brilliant curling shot in the 53rd minute. Fermin Lopez sealed the victory with a stoppage-time strike, assisted by Yamal, making it 2-0.
With the win, Barcelona, under coach Hansi Flick, reached 85 points, seven clear of Real Madrid, who are second with 78 points. Atlético Madrid are in third place with 70 points. It marks an incredible first season for Flick at Barcelona, with the team securing both the LaLiga title and the Copa del Rey.
Barcelona announced they would receive the LaLiga trophy on Friday in a special celebration in the city. On Wednesday, Barcelona were moments away from winning the title without stepping onto the pitch, as Real Madrid’s last-minute winner against Mallorca kept their faint hopes alive. However, Barcelona took matters into their own hands, clinching the title with a hard-earned win over Espanyol, despite a brief delay in the match after several fans were injured by a car outside the stadium.
Espanyol were arguably the better team in the first half, but Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny made a crucial save, denying Javi Puado from close range during one of several Espanyol counter-attacks.
Just when Barcelona appeared to struggle in breaking down Espanyol’s defense, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal made the difference with his trademark move. He picked up the ball on the right touchline, ran parallel to the edge of the box, and curled a beautiful strike between two defenders into the top corner.
“Lamine’s goal is something he practices often, and he scored the same way in the warm-up today,” said teammate Pedri. “We need to protect him and let him enjoy the moment, he’s fantastic.”
Pedri added, “Winning a league isn’t something that happens every day, so we need to enjoy it and celebrate this victory. It’s been one of the most challenging titles, but we’re proud of what we’ve achieved this season. The fans have enjoyed it too.”
Yamal’s goal gave Barcelona a much-needed boost in confidence. With Espanyol’s Leandro Cabrera sent off in the 80th minute for elbowing Yamal, Barcelona controlled the game, and Lopez added a second goal in stoppage time to wrap up the victory, igniting title celebrations.
