Barcelona secured their second consecutive and 29th overall La Liga title 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 brilliant free kick, curling the ball into the top corner. Ferran Torres doubled the lead in the 18th minute, converting from inside the area after a flick from Dani Olmo.
Tribute to Coach Flick
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick was in the dugout for Sunday's Clásico following the death of his father, which the club 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. My father passed away, but here, my team is fantastic," Flick said after the match. "I really love it. This is like a family, and they gave everything today. I'm really proud to win La Liga against Real Madrid at this amazing stadium."
Title Implications
The victory gave Barcelona an insurmountable 14-point advantage over Real Madrid with three rounds remaining. A draw would also have been enough for the Catalan club to seal its third league title in four seasons.
Real Madrid, with 36 trophies, is ending a second consecutive season without a major title. Madrid remains the most successful club in Spanish league history.
Madrid's Troubled Week
Sundays's defeat capped an embarrassing week for Madrid, marked by altercations between players in training. The club fined Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni 500,000 euros ($589,000) each.
In the 51st minute, a brief scuffle erupted after Olmo confronted a Madrid player, earning Olmo a yellow card. Jude Bellingham had a goal disallowed for offside in the 63rd minute.
Forward Raphinha replaced Rashford in the 64th minute to return from a long injury layoff. Madrid was without injured Kylian Mbappé, the league's leading scorer with 24 goals, who failed to recover from a left hamstring ailment that has kept him sidelined since late April.
Looking Ahead
The loss is likely to increase criticism of coach Álvaro Arbeloa, who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Xabi Alonso was fired in January.
"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 has fallen many times and risen many times."
Barcelona lifted the trophy with Lamine Yamal, who watched from the bench due to an injury. The young star was on the field to celebrate with his teammates despite missing the final league games.