Barcelona secured their 28th La Liga title after a 2-0 away win against Espanyol on Thursday, extending their lead at the top to seven points with just two matches remaining. Meanwhile, Gorka Guruzeta inspired Athletic Bilbao to secure a Champions League spot.
The title was sealed in a match overshadowed by an incident outside the stadium, where a car accident left 13 people with minor injuries, according to local authorities, who confirmed the driver was apprehended.
Under German coach Hansi Flick, Barcelona entered the game four points ahead of Real Madrid, who had kept the pressure on with a dramatic 2-1 win over Mallorca. The Catalans needed all three points to clinch the title early, and they delivered their sixth consecutive victory and fifteenth in the last sixteen rounds, maintaining an unbeaten run since December 21 against Atlético Madrid.
With this win, Barcelona’s tally rose to 86 points, seven clear of their archrivals, adding the league trophy to their Super Cup and Copa del Rey triumphs this season. The only blemish on their campaign was a dramatic Champions League semi-final exit to Inter Milan, conceding a late equalizer to draw 3-3 before losing 4-3 in extra time.
Against their city rivals-whom they haven’t lost to in La Liga since February 21, 2009-Barcelona dominated possession in the first half but struggled to convert chances. Espanyol’s Orko González and Javi Puado forced fine saves from Wojciech Szczęsny, while Lamine Yamal threatened with a powerful shot over the bar.
Early in the second half, Uruguayan defender Ronald Araújo was forced off with an injury, but Lamine Yamal quickly made amends, cutting in from the right and curling a superb left-footed shot into the top corner for his eighth league goal and seventeenth in all competitions. Espanyol’s task became even harder when Leandro Cabrera was sent off after a VAR review. Substitute Fermín López sealed the win in stoppage time, finishing off a pass from Yamal.
Bilbao Secure Champions League Spot
Elsewhere, Gorka Guruzeta and Dani Vivian led Athletic Bilbao to a crucial 2-0 victory over Getafe, ensuring their place in next season’s Champions League by opening up an eight-point gap over sixth-placed Real Betis.
Betis, meanwhile, kept their slim Champions League hopes alive with a 2-2 draw against Rayo Vallecano, coming from two goals down after strikes from Jorge de Frutos and Florian Lejeune. Villarreal, in fifth, stretched their advantage with a 3-0 win over Leganés.
Colombian striker Cucho Hernández pulled one back for Betis before Isco equalized from the penalty spot, marking Betis’s third consecutive 2-2 draw after similar results against Fiorentina in the Conference League semi-final and Osasuna in the previous league round.
