Breaking: Barcelona win second straight LaLiga title after El Clásico victory

Barcelona have secured a second consecutive LaLiga title under manager Hansi Flick after defeating rivals Real Madrid 2-0 in Sunday’s El Clásico, opening an unassailable 14-point lead at the top of the table with only three matches remaining.

Goals from Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres in the opening stages of the match sealed the victory for the Catalan giants at the Spotify Camp Nou. The triumph came on an emotional day for Flick, who remained on the touchline despite news emerging shortly before kickoff about the passing of his father.

The latest Clásico also entered the history books, becoming only the second time a meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid directly decided the LaLiga title. The first occurrence dates back to 1932, when a draw between the two sides confirmed Madrid as champions.

Barcelona’s latest success further underlines the club’s dominance in Spanish football in recent years. After enduring a three-year wait for the league crown, the Blaugrana have now captured three LaLiga titles in the last four seasons.

Flick, who succeeded Xavi Hernández in 2024 after leaving his roles with Bayern Munich and the German national team, has now won the league in each of his first two campaigns in charge of Barcelona.

The title is Barcelona’s 29th LaLiga triumph, leaving them second on the all-time list behind Real Madrid, who hold a record 36 league titles. Atlético Madrid remain third with 11 championships.

Since Flick’s arrival, Barcelona have collected five domestic trophies, including back-to-back Spanish Supercopa titles and last season’s Copa del Rey crown.

The team has also maintained remarkable attacking consistency, scoring in 55 consecutive matches — a streak surpassed only by Barcelona’s legendary 2012-13 side, which found the net in 64 straight games.

Despite their domestic dominance, European success has continued to elude Flick’s side. Barcelona were eliminated by Inter Milan in last season’s UEFA Champions League semifinal before suffering a quarterfinal exit against Atlético Madrid this year.

Still, their performances in Spain have been impressive. Barcelona trailed Real Madrid by five points earlier in the season following a Clásico defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu in October.

However, momentum shifted as Madrid struggled through a poor run of form, winning only one of five league matches at one stage. Barcelona capitalised by climbing back to the summit in December and building a four-point cushion.

The title race remained unpredictable in the following months. Defeats to Real Sociedad in January and Girona in February briefly handed Madrid the advantage again, as Los Blancos put together an eight-match winning streak.

But Madrid failed to maintain consistency, dropping points against Osasuna, Getafe, Mallorca and Girona. Barcelona took full advantage, opening a commanding lead that ultimately proved decisive.

Their strong finish to the campaign included a 10-match winning run in LaLiga, highlighted by a victory over Osasuna that pushed them 14 points ahead.

Although Madrid temporarily reduced the gap by defeating Espanyol last weekend, Barcelona officially sealed the title with Sunday’s convincing victory over their fiercest rivals.

For Real Madrid, the defeat also confirmed a second consecutive season without winning a major trophy.