BARCELONA: Barcelona claimed their 27th La Liga title and first for four years on Sunday after two first-half goals from Robert Lewandowski spurred them to a comfortable 4-2 victory over city rivals Espanyol.

Barca moved to 85 points from 34 matches and extended their lead at the summit to an unassailable 14 points over second-placed Real Madrid.

There was little time for jubilation, however, as the visitors had to quickly rush off the pitch after fulltime as several Espanyol fans invaded the field as Barca started to celebrate their title.

They will have to wait until Saturday to lift the La Liga trophy as they host fourth-placed Real Sociedad in front of their jubilant fans who will pack out their Camp Nou stadium.

“It was a very emotional moment, a moment very hard not to celebrate after so many months of work,” said Barca coach Xavi Hernandez.

“We didn’t celebrate just because it was Espanyol’s stadium.”

The coach said that the victory was proof that the club was heading in the right direction.

“(It brings) a lot of calm, a lot of hope for the future,” said Xavi. “I am very happy. We did a great job, a league won with four games remaining, that’s to the absolute merit of the team.”

It will no doubt be an emotional occasion also for captain Sergio Busquets, who last week announced that he will be leaving Barca after 15 years at the end of the season.

It was Busquets’ ninth La Liga title and 32nd overall with the club, with his trophy cabinet also including three Champions Leagues, seven Copa del Rey and three FIFA Club World Cups as well as his 2010 World Cup and 2012 European championship success with Spain.

“I’m delighted, I think we had a spectacular campaign and clinched it today with a great win,” Busquets told Movistar Plus. “I’m proud of what we did the entire season, being solid and regular, winning the games we should and not dropping points. It was a remarkable season and I’m so happy to end my history here this way.”

Barca were the superior side against lowly Espanyol, who are second from bottom and fighting to avoid relegation, and opened the scoring early with a close-range strike by Lewandowski.

Alejandro Balde, who put it on a plate for Lewandowski’s opener, scored Barca’s second with a tap-in from a Pedri cross in the 20th minute.

Lewandowski extended Barca’s lead five minutes before the break with another close-range finish from a Raphinha cross.

Defender Jules Kounde headed in Barca’s fourth in the 53rd minute, before Javi Puado and Joselu scored consolation goals for Espanyol.

The Catalan giants invested heavily last summer, sacrificing future income in order to bolster the squad and earn major silverware quickly.

Barcelona have won 27 of their 34 games this season, with their title charge built largely on their outstanding defence, which has conceded a measly 13 goals, by far the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues.

Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has found confidence and form again, with Barcelona yet to concede at home from open play all season, bar an Araujo own goal against Real Madrid.

They are also the second highest scorers in the division, having bagged 64 goals, with La Liga’s leading marksman this season Lewandowski netting 21, four more than Real’s Karim Benzema.

Earlier, Atletico Madrid fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat at relegated Elche.Valencia snatched an important late victory at Celta Vigo to climb provisionally to 14th, three points above the relegation zone.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2023