Title defense perfect
©IMAGO
FC Barcelona secured the LaLiga championship with a 2-0 (2-0) win in the Clásico against arch-rivals Real Madrid. The Catalans completed their title defense just three match days before the end. The Royals are 14 points behind Barça as their pursuers. The victory was dedicated to the father of coach Hansi Flick, who died on Sunday just a few hours before the duel. There was a minute’s silence before kick-off.
The old and new champions are at the top of the table with 91 points – only three other teams have managed that after 35 match days. Real remains second with 77 points. Marcus Rashford gave Barça the lead in the 9th minute with a wonderful free kick from 17 meters into the left corner. Ferran Torres made it 2-0 just nine minutes later, paving the way for the title triumph.
The Royals, who have been making headlines off the pitch in recent days, had to do without their superstar Kylian Mbappé in the game. The Frenchman only returned to training with the Madrilenians in the last few days after his thigh injury. Without their top scorer, the team around German international Antonio Rüdiger had no chance.
A few hours before the final whistle, the Catalans announced that Flick’s father had died. “FC Barcelona and the entire Blaugrana family would like to express our condolences to Hansi Flick on the death of his father. We share your pain and stand with you and your family in this difficult moment,” the club said via its social media channels.
Minute of silence for Flick’s father before FC Barcelona’s championship
Despite the emotional strain, Flick decided to stand on the sidelines in the top game of the Spanish league. Both teams showed up at the Camp Nou wearing mourning ribbons. Before the game started there was a minute’s silence for Flick’s father.
It is the 29th championship title for FC Barcelona and the fourth in a national league for Flick. In 2020 and 2021 he became German champion with FC Bayern, and now Spanish champion twice in a row with Barça. In contrast, the Royals under coach Álvaro Arbeloa will end this season without a title, in which the 36-time Spanish champions parted ways with ex-Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso early on.
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