After rival Barcelona collapsed in the second half against Girona, losing 4-2, Real Madrid won a record-tying 36th La Liga title on Saturday, guaranteeing that Los Blancos will always be at the top of the standings.
With four games left in the season, Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory against Cádiz earlier in the day left Barcelona with an impossible task to win in order to maintain mathematical hopes of winning the championship.
And at first, it appeared as though Barcelona might postpone the nearly certain Real Madrid championship victory for another week. Goals from Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christiansen gave the Blaugrana a 2-1 lead at the half, with Paulo Gazzaniga’s outstanding goalkeeping keeping the score from getting much bigger.
However, Barca missed a number of opportunities after the break, and Cristian Portu’s goal for Girona in the 65th minute put the team ahead. A minute later, Miguel Gutiérrez’s effort gave the Blanquivermells the lead, and Portu’s second goal—a stunning volley from the edge of the box—sealed the victory.