Lionel Messi on Saturday conjured the perfect finish to a dominant title march by Barcelona when he came off the bench and scored the goal that clinched the La Liga crown.
After resting until halftime, Messi went on and finally put a shot past Levante UD goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez in the 62nd minute to start the celebrations at the Camp Nou. Barcelona won 1-0 with Messi’s league-leading 34th goal, his 46th in all competitions this season.
After hugging and kissing his children who came onto the pitch with the other players’ families, Messi received the league trophy from Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales and pumped it in the air.
Photo: AFP
Barcelona won their second straight league title since Ernesto Valverde took over at the start of last season. The title was the club’s eighth in 11 seasons. Overall, Barcelona have 26 league titles, second only to Real Madrid’s 33.
Messi “scores goals against everyone and he has given us the title,” Valverde said about his star. “To win the title by a good margin, given how difficult it is, and to have done it back-to-back, we are just happy to give our fans something to be happy about. It is a source of pride for us.”
Barcelona’s win put them nine points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid with three rounds to play and they hold the tiebreaker with Atletico on head-to-head goals.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Atletico beat Real Valladolid 1-0 earlier, forcing Barcelona to need a victory to wrap up the title this weekend before they turn their attention to their Champions League semi-final first-leg clash against Liverpool on Thursday.
With the La Liga title secured, Barcelona can focus on completing a rare treble if they can add the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, with the final against Valencia on May 25.
? COUPE DE FRANCE
AFP, PARIS
Kylian Mbappe on Saturday was sent off for a shocking tackle late in the game as Paris Saint-Germain were stunned by Stade Rennais in the Coupe de France final, losing 6-5 on penalties after a dramatic game was locked 2-2 at fulltime.
PSG substitute Christopher Nkunku blazed his sudden-death spot-kick over the bar in the shootout, sparking scenes of joy among the Rennes fans at the Stade de France as they won their first trophy in almost half a century.
“It has been talked about enough at the club in the last few weeks for us to realize that we have achieved something historic,” said Rennes coach Julien Stephan said.
It was a remarkable comeback from the Brittany side, who had seen Dani Alves and Neymar give Ligue 1 champions PSG a 2-0 lead midway through the first half.
Thomas Tuchel’s side appeared poised to wrap up a domestic double, but Presnel Kimpembe’s own-goal just before the break gave Rennes hope and Edson Mexer headed them level in the 66th minute to take a gripping final — attended by French President Emmanuel Macron — to extra time.
Penalties were already looming when Mbappe, who endured a frustrating evening, was shown a straight red card by referee Ruddy Buquet for a dreadful challenge on Damien da Silva.
The France star caught the Rennes defender on the knee with his studs and can expect a lengthy ban.
“He had a slight muscle injury yesterday, he stopped training early and went to hospital for tests. Maybe that was in his head,” Tuchel said of Mbappe. “You got the feeling he was lacking confidence and didn’t feel free. The red card at the end, it’s not him.”
PREMIER LEAGUE
AP, LEICESTER and LONDON, England
Arsenal’s hopes of finishing in the Champions League qualification positions in the Premier League were damaged after a 3-0 loss to Leicester City yesterday after playing more than half the game with 10 men and missing the chance to climb back into the top four.
Norwich City are to return to the Premier League after on Saturday clinching one of the two automatic promotion places from the second-tier League Championship by beating Blackburn Rovers 2-1.
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