The Fort Worth Press - Barcelona earn La Liga title with Espanyol rout

The Catalan giants clinched their 27th Spanish championship at the home of their neighbours, with scenes turning ugly at full time as celebrating Barcelona players were chased from the field by pitch invaders.

Robert Lewandowski struck twice for Barcelona, along with goals for Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde, while Javi Puado and Joselu pulled two back late on for the hosts.

Barcelona have endured a troubled period on and off the pitch in recent years but their triumph signals significant improvement, with coach Xavi Hernandez winning his first major trophy since taking over in November 2021.

President Joan Laporta's rebuild was widely criticised last summer in light of the club's perilous financial situation.

Early Champions League elimination was a blow, but the club won the Spanish Super Cup in January, before sealing La Liga glory with four games to spare.

"It was a very emotional moment, a moment very hard not to celebrate after so many months of work," said Xavi.

"We didn't celebrate just because it was Espanyol's stadium."

The coach said that the victory was proof that the club was heading in the right direction.

"(It brings) a lot of calm, a lot of hope for the future," said Xavi.

"I am very happy. We did a great job, a league won with four games remaining, that's to the absolute merit of the team."

Xavi did not spring any surprises with his line-up and Barcelona's first team took to the pitch with one goal firmly in mind, the end finally in sight.

They conjured an electric display, one of their finest this season, to seal their triumph and leave their city rivals 19th, four points from safety with four matches remaining.

Barcelona took the lead through Lewandowski, finishing from close range after a fine Alejandro Balde assist.

The left-back scored the second himself, with Pedri scooping a cross to the back post for him to pounce.

Barca grabbed the third before half-time when Raphinha put the ball on a plate for Lewandowski to roll home.

The Polish striker's arrival from Bayern Munich was a key part of last summer's rebuild and despite a dip in the second half of the season, has paid the Catalans back in goals.

Raphinha, who joined from Leeds, played superbly against Espanyol and has been an important figure in the second half of the season with Ousmane Dembele sidelined for a long stretch.

"I am very happy and not just for myself, the whole team worked so hard," said Raphinha.

"Only a few of us had won the league, it's the first for a lot of players, it's special. We worked so hard for this."

- Angry fans -

Kounde headed home the fourth early in the second half from Frenkie de Jong's perfect chipped pass as Espanyol's defence crumbled yet again.

Some Espanyol fans headed for the exits early while others demanded the board resign, including aiming one unsavoury chant at the club's Chinese owners.

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen denied Puado when through on goal, determined to earn a La Liga record-equalling 26th clean sheet of the season in the top flight.

However moments later the Espanyol forward found himself through on goal once more and this time scored with a sublime lob -- small consolation in the face of Espanyol's defeat and Barcelona's glory.

Joselu pulled another goal back in stoppage time, but it was too little, too late.

Xavi's side celebrated at full-time, to the anger of Espanyol fans, who invaded the pitch, with Barcelona players sprinting down the tunnel to escape.

"I haven't seen the images, I always go in at the end of a game and from what I've been told, it's something that should not happen and should be condemned," said Espanyol coach Luis Garcia.

"Measures were in place to avoid it, but it was not possible."

Earlier Atletico Madrid fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat at relegated Elche.

Valencia snatched an important late victory at Celta Vigo to climb provisionally to 14th, three points above the relegation zone.

B.Martinez--TFWP