Barcelona secured their 28th LaLiga title on Thursday with a 2-0 victory over city rivals Espanyol, cementing an unassailable seven-point lead over Real Madrid with just two games remaining in the season.
Real Madrid, who lost 4-3 to Barcelona on Sunday, needed to win their final three matches and hope the Catalan side picked up no more than one point to keep their slim title hopes alive. However, those hopes were dashed when 17-year-old Lamine Yamal curled in a stunning goal in the 53rd minute. Fermin Lopez then sealed the win deep into stoppage time, converting a pass from Yamal to spark celebrations among the Barca faithful.
The victory lifted Hansi Flick’s side to 85 points, with Real Madrid trailing at 78 and Atletico Madrid further back with 70. The win capped off a remarkable debut season for Flick, who guided the club to both the LaLiga and Copa del Rey titles.
Barcelona will officially receive the LaLiga trophy on Friday during a special celebration in the city. They came close to securing the title a day earlier without playing, but a late Real Madrid goal against Mallorca postponed the inevitable.
Thursday’s clash at Espanyol was not without incident. The match was briefly delayed after several fans were injured by a car outside the stadium. On the pitch, Espanyol had the better chances in the first half, but Barca goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny produced a series of saves, most notably a reflex stop to deny Javi Puado.
Barca struggled to break down a determined Espanyol side until Yamal delivered a moment of brilliance. Cutting in from the right wing, the teenager weaved across the edge of the box before curling a left-footed strike into the top corner — a move teammate Pedri revealed Yamal had perfected in training.
“Lamine’s goal is a move he practices a lot, he had scored twice today in the warm-up the same way,” Pedri told Movistar Plus. “We have to look after him and let him enjoy it, he is fantastic.”
Barca’s momentum only grew from there. Espanyol were reduced to ten men after Leandro Cabrera received a straight red card for elbowing Yamal in the 80th minute. The numerical advantage helped Barcelona seal the win, with Lopez scoring the second to ensure the title celebrations could begin in earnest.
“You don’t win a league every day,” Pedri added. “It was one of the most complicated titles. We are happy with the year we have had. We’ve enjoyed it and so have the fans.”
Barcelona’s latest triumph confirms their resurgence under Flick and highlights the emergence of young talents like Yamal — key players in what may be the beginning of a new era of dominance for the Catalan giants.
