Barcelona beat Espanyol to win La Liga title
Barcelona have won their 27th La Liga title after a dominant season, finishing unassailable 13 points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid. The Catalan giants have been in excellent form all season, and their title win is a testament to the work that has been done by manager Xavi Hernandez, who was appointed in November 2021. They beat Espanyol 4-2 at home to seal the win with four games left in the season.
“It’s a magnificent feeling, a feeling of job well done,” Barcelona coach Xavi said. “This is important to give the club’s project some stability. The league title shows that things have been done the right way and that we have to stay on this path.” Xavi won eight as a player with Barca and now this one as a manager. Follow OBN to get the latest in sports and more!
The title was clinched with four games remaining as Robert Lewandowski, who now scored 30 goals in 33 league appearances since joining from Bayern Munich, struck twice along with goals for Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde. Javi Puado and Joselu pulled two late goals to give hosts a consolation. Celebrations at the RCDE Stadium were cut short as some Espanyol fans invaded the pitch towards Barcelona players.
Barcelona’s defense has also been solid this season. They have conceded just 13 goals in La Liga, which is the third-best record in the league behind Deportivo La Coruña (1993-94) and Atlético Madrid (2015-16) joint record of 18. Barcelona have won 24 of their last 32 games in La Liga despite not reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Throughout the season, the Catalan giants have been particularly impressive in attack, scoring 76 goals in 33 league games. The defense has been solid at times, but it has also been exposed at times, particularly in the Champions League. Despite their defensive weaknesses, Barcelona have been too good for their rivals in La Liga this season.
The title win is also a major boost for Barcelona’s finances as the club has been struggling financially in recent years. This will help them to reduce their debt and to invest in the team for the future. In fact, reports claim that they are eyeing to re-sign their former talisman and current PSG star Lionel Messi, who helped them win titles since coming into the first team in 2004-05.
