A spectacular goal from Lamine Yamal sealed Barcelona’s La Liga championship with a 2-0 victory over their local rivals Espanyol on Thursday.
This win ensures that Real Madrid can no longer overtake them at the top of the league table.
Yamal’s strike, along with a goal from Fermin Lopez, extended Hansi Flick’s team’s lead to seven points over Real Madrid with only two matches remaining, securing Barcelona’s 28th league title and completing an impressive domestic treble.
Despite not winning the Champions League this season, this exciting young Barcelona team has clinched the league title for the second time in six years, coincidentally at Espanyol’s stadium, just as they did in 2023.
While celebrating Barca players were previously chased off the field by angry Espanyol fans in 2023, this time Espanyol responded by turning on the sprinklers to drench the celebrating visitors, who quickly headed towards the tunnel.
Yamal broke the deadlock in the tense derby in the 53rd minute with a brilliant curling shot, and Lopez added the second goal in the 95th minute, securing the victory.
Midfielder Pedri told Movistar that winning the league is not an everyday occurrence and needs to be enjoyed and valued. He acknowledged that Espanyol played defensively, trying to counter-attack, which they can do effectively.
However, he expressed his happiness that Barcelona ultimately secured the win and the league title, which he stated is what matters most.
Before the match, several Espanyol fans outside the stadium were hit by a car that drove into a large crowd, although none sustained serious injuries, and police indicated it appeared to be an accident.
Barcelona came close to securing the title on Wednesday, but a 95th-minute winner by Real Madrid against Mallorca delayed the inevitable.
Flick’s team had a slow start in Cornella, with 16th-placed Espanyol looking dangerous on counter-attacks, determined to secure their place in the top flight.
Wojciech Szczesny made a crucial save against Javi Puado, who had a clear opportunity for Espanyol in the first half. Barcelona dominated possession but failed to create any significant chances themselves in the first half.
Despite often overwhelming teams this season and approaching 100 La Liga goals, Barcelona needed something special to break through, especially with the title at stake and a hostile crowd.
That moment came from 17-year-old winger Yamal, who cut inside from the right and unleashed a powerful shot into the top corner from outside the box, reminiscent of his goal for Spain against France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals.
This was Yamal’s eighth La Liga goal of the season, and having scored in both matches against Real Madrid and against Atletico Madrid, he has shown a knack for performing in important games.
Barcelona’s excellent performance in Sunday’s Clasico, where they defeated Real Madrid 4-3 in a thrilling match, was crucial in their title win.
They still needed to secure the victory against their neighbours, which became easier when Leandro Cabrera was sent off for elbowing Yamal in the stomach.
Despite being a player down, Espanyol put significant pressure on Barcelona until Lopez’s shot beat Joan Garcia, ending the home team’s resistance.
Espanyol fans threw bottles at the celebrating Barcelona players after the goal, but the league’s youngest squad, who clinched a title many thought unlikely after Kylian Mbappe’s arrival at Real Madrid, the previous champions, were unfazed.
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