Javi Puado scored Espanyol’s first goal in the 73rd and Joselu added the second in stoppage time as Barcelona players were getting ready to celebrate. It was relegated in 2020 for the first time in nearly three decades, returning to the top flight in its first attempt as second-division champion. It stayed second-to-last, four points from safety.Įspanyol had won only once in its last 10 league matches, with a draw and eight losses. The loss dealt a big blow to Espanyol in its fight against relegation. It was also his first league goal with the club. Koundé scored the fourth in the 53rd with a header after a long pass by Frenkie de Jong. Lewandowski, the league’s leading scorer with 21 goals, added his second in the 40th after a low cross by Raphinha in a breakaway. The 19-year-old left back added to the lead nine minutes later off a pass by Pedri, scoring his first league goal with the club. Lewandowski opened the scoring on Sunday from close range in the 11th minute after a cross by Alejandro Balde. Laporta celebrated with the players in the locker room. The club was yet to win a major trophy since president Joan Laporta took action to restructure its debt and revamp the squad with players like Lewandowski, Jules Koundé and Raphinha. ![]() It was second to Madrid last season.īarcelona’s first title without Messi came in the Spanish Super Cup in January. It finished second to Madrid in 2020, then third - behind Madrid and champion Atletico - in 2021. ![]() The league title shows that things have been done the right way and that we have to stay on this path.”īarcelona won eight league titles in 11 seasons through 2019. “This is important to give the club’s project some stability. “It’s a magnificent feeling, a feeling of job well done,” Barcelona coach Xavi said. The victory over city rival Espanyol gave Barcelona an insurmountable 85 points from 34 matches, 14 points more than Madrid, which won 1-0 at Getafe on Saturday.īarcelona has led since the 13th round and holds the league’s best defense with 13 goals conceded - 14 better than any other club. Third-place Atletico Madrid is 16 points back after losing 1-0 at last-place Elche earlier Sunday. The supporters threw chairs and other objects.Īlejandro Balde and Jules Koundé also scored for Barcelona, which now has 27 league titles, eight fewer than Real Madrid. Security guards quickly intervened but riot police had to stand in front of the tunnel's entrance to prevent the fans from going in. ![]() He came into the first team in 2004-05 and won the title that season.Ĭelebrations on the field were short-lived Sunday as players had to rush to the locker room after a large group of Espanyol fans from the ultra section behind one of the goals started running toward Barcelona players singing and celebrating in the center. The last time Barcelona had celebrated a league title without Messi in its squad was back in 1998-99. The title was secured with four rounds remaining and two years after Messi left amid the club’s financial struggles. Robert Lewandowski scored twice to lead the Catalan club to its first league title since 2019.
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