Barcelona secured back-to-back LaLiga titles under coach Hansi Flick after a decisive 2-0 victory over Real Madrid in the latest El Clásico on Sunday, pushing them 14 points clear at the summit with just three matches remaining.
Early goals from Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres proved sufficient for Barcelona on a poignant day, as Flick, who was present despite recently losing his father, received condolences from both sets of players who donned black armbands during a moment of silence before the match.
The celebration erupted among Barcelona’s players and coaching staff after the final whistle, as they reveled in their triumph over their fierce rivals. Flick expressed his gratitude to supporters and referred to his squad as a “family” in his post-match comments.
Not long after, the players received replica LaLiga trophies before the actual trophy was presented, which they lifted before a jubilant Camp Nou crowd for the second consecutive season.
This victory marked only the second time in LaLiga history that an El Clásico result directly determined the league champion, the first instance occurring in 1932 when a 2-2 draw allowed Madrid to lift the title.
Following a three-year title drought, Barça have now claimed three of the last four LaLiga championships. Flick, who succeeded Xavi Hernández in 2024, has guided the team to triumph in both of his seasons at the helm, mirroring his previous success with Bayern Munich and Germany.
This marks the 29th LaLiga title for Barcelona, with only Real Madrid (36) achieving more wins, while Atlético Madrid holds a distant third with 11 titles.
The team also boasts a remarkable scoring streak, netting in 55 consecutive matches—second only to the legendary 2012-13 Barcelona side that scored in 64 consecutive games.
However, Flick’s squad fell short in Europe, being eliminated in the Champions League semifinals by Inter Milan last season, and losing to Atlético in the quarterfinal this year.
While their continental endeavors have not yielded results, Barça’s domestic prominence is indisputable.
After losing to Madrid in the Clásico at the Bernabeu in October, Barcelona found themselves five points behind Los Blancos at the top of the table. However, by December, they had surged ahead, establishing a four-point lead after Madrid struggled, winning only one of five matches—a downturn that ultimately led to the dismissal of Madrid’s coach Xabi Alonso after losing the Spanish Supercopa final to Barça.
The momentum continued to shift, with Barça experiencing defeats to Real Sociedad in January and Girona in February, handing Madrid a return to the top after an impressive eight-game winning streak.
Nevertheless, Madrid could not sustain that momentum, suffering defeats to Osasuna, Getafe, and Mallorca, while also drawing with Girona, allowing Barcelona to establish a significant nine-point lead with seven matches remaining.
Additional dropped points against Real Betis permitted Barça to extend their lead, capped off by their tenth consecutive league win over Osasuna, temporarily elevating them 14 points ahead.
Madrid managed to reduce that gap to 11 points by defeating Espanyol on May 3, postponing Barcelona’s title celebrations, but ultimately, they couldn’t stop Barça from clinching the championship on Sunday.
This defeat marks the second consecutive season in which Madrid has failed to secure a trophy across any competition.