La Liga - Barca win Liga after Real lose

Eurosport - Sun, 17 May 08:50:00 2009

Barcelona were gifted their 19th La Liga title without kicking a ball on Saturday when second-placed Real Madrid were beaten 3-2 at Villarreal.

FOOTBALL Villarreal - Real Madrid 2008-2009 - 0

Robert Pires, Cani and Joan Capdevila scored for the hosts, delivering Barca's second piece of silverware in a week after the Catalans overcame Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday.

Barca can make it a treble by defeating Manchester United in the Champions League final in Rome on May 27.

Real have 78 points and two games left, eight points shy of Barcelona who visit Real Mallorca on Sunday.

The visitors looked short on confidence and ideas at the Madrigal and fell behind when Pires headed home Ariel Ibagaza's cross in the 17th minute.

Real coach Juande Ramos threw on Gonzalo Higuain at half-time and the Argentine striker's first intervention was to cross low for Rafael van der Vaart to sidefoot the equaliser from close range.

Cani drove in at the near post to make it 2-1 and although Higuain levelled with two minutes to go, Capdevila pounced on a late fumble from keeper Iker Casillas to send Real to their third consecutive defeat.

Elsewhere, Sevilla and Deportivo Coruna's European aspirations were dented when they were both held to draws by sides fighting to avoid relegation.

Third-placed Sevilla were held to a 0-0 draw away to Osasuna with the Andalucians on the back foot for much of the game.

Both sides hit the crossbar and after Sevilla had Ndri Romaric sent off near the end, Osasuna defender Sergio Fernandez soon followed.

Sevilla move five points clear of fourth on to 64 points in their bid to secure the third automatic Champions League qualification place.

Deportivo remain sixth with 57 points after their striker Ivan Riki scored a late equaliser against his former club Getafe for a 1-1 home draw.

Roberto Soldado had headed the visitors in front just after the restart.

Getafe are 14th with 38 points, one more than Osasuna and four above the relegation zone.

Reuters

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  1. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the most people i feel sorry for is the poor barca­ players they don't know they r like slaves
    till­ this day i remaimber the eyes of romario rivaldo­ kluivert figo all were full of tears when they were­ kicked out so bad club
    but the worst was last year­ when the team of rekard with 3 fatastic players­ ronaldinho eto'o & deco which end the 6 years­ with out a single title to give barca 2 league &­ their 2nd CL in their whole life imagine what was the­ gift thanks but no thanks and show them the exit­ door
    so many talet were destroyed in this club
    after­ all this they make us def by saying it is more than a­ club
    i agree it is a NIGHT club the only thing garante­ is show not respect not loyality not love but SHOW­ dancing SHOW of some dirt!!!

    From getachew44, on Sun 17 May 1:34AM

  2. Phil K, If what you are stating is true why EPL teams­ always park the bus. Happened with Man Utd last year,­ happened with chelsea this year and will happen in the­ final. Man Utd scoring more than one goal is not­ realistic.

    From Moussa, on Sun 17 May 1:31AM

  3. GETACHEW YOU WERE WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS UNDER­ FRANCO...NUFF SAID

    From stavros h, on Sun 17 May 1:09AM

  4. HEY MANCUNIANS MAY I JUST REMIND YOU:IN THIS YEAR'S­ CL YOU DREW 2 TIMES WITH VILLAREAL(HAILING FROM THE OH­ SO INFERIOR LA LIGA)YOU DREW AT HOME WITH PORTO.YOU­ ALSO DREW WITH INTER AWAY AND WERE LUCKY IN THE SECOND­ LEG.YOU STRUGGLE TO BEAT ASTON­ VILLA,FULHAM,HULL,SUNDERLAND.....YOU 'VE STRUGGLED­ AGAINST VIRTUALLY EVERY OPPONENT AND YET YOU DOUBT­ BARCA.HOW PATHETIC ARE YOU...

    From stavros h, on Sun 17 May 1:07AM

  5. i don't understand is to win less than 20 time­ league make u that happy if you have more than 30 what­ would u do
    you might die from over happieness but­ don't wary u r too weak to reach our magic number­ 31 league 9 champ leg

    From getachew44, on Sun 17 May 1:06AM

  6. well done to Viilarreal x

    From Lisa, on Sun 17 May 1:03AM

  7. INIESTA LOOKED PRETTY GOOD AT STAMFORD BRIDGE AS WELL!!

    From stavros h, on Sun 17 May 1:01AM

  8. Lol silly Barca fans.The EPL is the best league in the­ world...with the best players...sure messi and iniesta­ are great players..In LA LIGA !!!

    As Chelsea proved­ these are just good players and simply plying their­ trade at home in Spain where the football standard is­ lower.

    Utd will punish Barcelona heavily...maybe 4 or­ 5-1....i hope this result does not ruin Barca and allow­ Real Madrid to dominate the next 10 year....poor­ deluded Barca fans

    From phil k, on Sun 17 May 12:48AM

  9. YOU WERE LUCKY AGAINST PORTO!

    From stavros h, on Sun 17 May 12:44AM

  10. BARCELONIAD I CALL HER!

    From stavros h, on Sun 17 May 12:43AM

  11. comment 19
    Hey moron, messi punched one in with his­ hand too.
    Your right ronaldo wont help them he wont be­ there.
    You were so lucky against chelsea our 3rd best­ team in prem.
    Utd will hammer you

    From david w, on Sun 17 May 12:39AM

  12. @ getachew44, you know what hurts you the most, the­ fact that Barca destroyed madrid home and away in­ Bernaboooo, and what hurts more madshit fans than­ ending their title hopes and destroying them 2-6 in­ Bernabooooo, and to put more painnnnn on madshit fans­ like you dickkkk, is the fact that madshit did us a­ favor and gave us the title, this way, Barca could rest­ their player. So suck on that you no life fuxk head who­ only dreams.

    From barca_nr_1, on Sun 17 May 12:36AM

  13. MAN U IS SUCH A GOOD AND COMPETENT TEAM.BUT BARCA ON­ THE OTHER HAND IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.HER MERITS­ TRANSCEND FOOTBALL AND EXTEND INTO THE REALM OF FINE­ ART!!

    From stavros h, on Sun 17 May 12:33AM

  14. BARCELONA IS EPIC!!!

    From stavros h, on Sun 17 May 12:29AM

  15. @ getachew44, go get a life, you have nothing to do,­ but sit here nad spend all your life talking trassshhhh­ about Barca. Why don't you instead go fuxkkk your­ mother for me, really hard, until she screams­ BARCELONA!!!!!!!! Also if you love Eto'o Iniesta­ Toure so much, why don't you just convert into a­ Barcelonisimo.

    From barca_nr_1, on Sun 17 May 12:29AM

  16. ALL HAIL THE BARCELONIAD!!!

    From stavros h, on Sun 17 May 12:27AM

  17. Enjoy your title Barcelona, cos in Rome..Manchester Utd­ will be victorious! GLORY GLORY WORLD CHAMPIONS MAN­ UTD!

    From SEUN, on Sun 17 May 12:23AM

  18. remaimber van gal & rekard

    remaimber what happen­ u win title at that time

    we are there next season with­ ronaldo robben & eto'o

    again con...gra......

    From getachew44, on Sun 17 May 12:21AM

  19. We are the champions... we are the champions...

    From elena, on Sun 17 May 12:19AM

  20. Barcelona is the best, Messi to the world. Christiano­ is a loser, love to cry like a cry baby. Go find a­ babysitter.

    From Rushane, on Sun 17 May 12:17AM
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