Barcelona secured their second consecutive La Liga title and 29th overall with a commanding 2-0 victory over Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Sunday.
Marcus Rashford opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a superb free kick, curling the ball into the top corner. Ferran Torres doubled the lead in the 18th minute, finishing from inside the area after a flick from Dani Olmo.
The result gives Barcelona an insurmountable 14-point advantage over their rivals with three matches remaining. A draw would have also been sufficient for the Catalan club to seal their third league title in four seasons.
Flick Mourns Father Amid Title Celebration
Coach Hansi Flick was in the dugout for Sunday's Clásico following the death of his father, which Barcelona announced hours before kickoff. Players from both teams wore black armbands, and there was a moment of silence before the match.
"I will never forget this day. It was a tough day for me. It starts with this news that my father passed away, but here, my team is fantastic," Flick said. "I really love it—this is like a family and they gave everything today. I'm really proud."
Flick celebrated Barcelona's goals and appeared emotional after the final whistle.
Madrid's Troubled Season Continues
Real Madrid, still the most successful club in the league with 36 trophies, ends a second consecutive season without a major title. Sunday's defeat capped a difficult week for the capital club.
Earlier in the week, altercations between players in training led Madrid to fine Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni 500,000 euros ($589,000) each. Valverde also sustained a head injury in the altercation.
Jude Bellingham had a goal disallowed for offside in the 63rd minute. A brief scuffle occurred in the 51st minute after Olmo confronted a Madrid player, earning a yellow card.
Player Absences Impact Both Sides
Barcelona played without injured Lamine Yamal, their biggest star, though he was on the field lifting the trophy with his teammates after the victory.
Raphinha replaced Rashford in the 64th minute to return from a long injury layoff.
Madrid was without Kylian Mbappé, the league's leading scorer with 24 goals. The France forward could not recover from a left hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined since late April.
Mbappé addressed criticism during the week, insisting he remained fully committed to the club and his recovery. He posted a message supporting Madrid during Sunday's match.
Arbeloa Faces Uncertain Future
The loss is likely to increase scrutiny on coach Álvaro Arbeloa, who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Xabi Alonso was fired in January. Rumors of a possible return of José Mourinho continue to swirl.
"There's not a lot we can say. We understand how frustrated and dissatisfied the fans must be," Arbeloa said. "The only thing we can do is work and look to the future. Real Madrid is always back—we have fallen many times and we will return."