Barcelona secured their 27th LaLiga title, their first in four years, after a comfortable 4-2 victory over city rivals Espanyol. The Catalan giants were spurred on by two first-half goals from Robert Lewandowski. Barca now have an unassailable 14-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid with 85 points from 34 matches.
Celebrations and ugly scenes
However, the moment of celebration turned sour as several Espanyol fans invaded the field as the Barcelona players were starting to celebrate their title. The pitch invaders chased the celebrating players off the field, and the joyous moment quickly turned into chaos. Despite the unsavoury end to the game, the victory was a significant improvement for Barcelona, who have struggled both on and off the pitch in recent years.
"I think it was enough. It's normal to celebrate but I understand we aren't at home and you can't be disrespectful," Baca coach Xavi Hernandez said after the match. "I know it is difficult to control sometimes, but I told the players it was better to head in."
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The reactions of the home supporters, which resulted in a confrontation involving Barca players in the tunnel, forcing police intervention, were viewed differently by Espanyol coach Luis Garcia.
"I didn't see what happened, but it has been explained to me and it's not something we can be proud of," Garcia said. "We condemn all acts of violence. We took the security measures to prevent it but it was not possible in the end."
Barcelona's dominant performance against Espanyol
Barcelona proved too strong for Espanyol, who are second from the bottom and battling against relegation, by securing a 4-2 victory. The Catalan giants started strong with a close-range finish by Robert Lewandowski to take an early lead, followed by a tap-in by Alejandro Balde from a cross by Pedri in the 20th minute. Lewandowski scored again, five minutes before half-time, to extend Barcelona's lead with another close-range finish, this time from a Raphinha cross. Defender Jules Kounde added another goal to Barcelona's tally in the 53rd minute, before Espanyol's Javi Puado and Joselu scored two late consolation goals.
Title-winning season built on strong defence
With 27 wins from 34 games, Barcelona's title charge was built mainly on their outstanding defence, which has conceded only 13 goals, making it the best defensive record in Europe's top five leagues. At home, their defensive numbers are even more impressive, having conceded only two goals, one from a penalty and the other an own goal. Barcelona is the second highest scorers in the division, having netted 64 goals, with Lewandowski, LaLiga's leading marksman this season, scoring 21 goals, four more than Real's Karim Benzema.
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