Barcelona have been crowned champions of Spain for the second year in a row.
In the 35th round of El Clásico, the Catalan team defeated Real Madrid 2-0 and were declared champions of Spain ahead of schedule.
With a significant advantage in the standings, a draw was enough for Barcelona to win the championship. However, the hosts started the game with great enthusiasm and, within less than 20 minutes, decided the match’s outcome.
In the 9th minute, after a free kick from the right, Marcus Rashford sent the ball into the top corner of the goal with a powerful shot, leaving goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois no chance to save. He was the first Barcelona player to score a goal against Real Madrid from a free kick since Lionel Messi did so in 2012.
Just nine minutes later, Barça continued to cause problems for the visitors’ defense. Dani Olmo back-heeled a pass into the penalty area, which allowed Ferran Torres to break through and score with a diagonal shot to make it 2-0.
Real Madrid tried to attack for the rest of the game, but were hampered by Barcelona’s confident control. The visitors’ most serious chance came in the 63rd minute, when Jude Bellingham sent the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
In contrast, the hosts at the Camp Nou deliberately slowed down the tempo, but still created numerous dangerous counterattacks. Tens of thousands of fans in the stands chanted “champions” incessantly, closing in on the title.
