Barcelona win, clinch LaLiga as Yamal nets stunner

Barcelona clinched the LaLiga title on Thursday with a 2-0 win at city rivals Espanyol to cap a stellar season during Hansi Flick's first season in charge.

Rivals Real Madrid beat Mallorca 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday to cut Barcelona's lead to four points, but the win for Flick's side put them seven points clear with two games left to play to seal the title.

After a scoreless first half, Lamine Yamal opened the scoring shortly after the break with another amazing goal, cutting in from the right wing and unleashing a trademark left-footed shot that flew into the top corner to give Barcelona the lead.

Soon after, Leandro Cabrera was sent off for elbowing Yamal in the stomach, leaving Espanyol with 10 players for the rest of the game and Barcelona added a second goal late on to close out the victory.

The match was briefly delayed before kickoff when a car crashed into a crowd of fans outside the stadium. Police said it was the result of an accident and that of the more than a dozen injuries, none were serious.

Flick, 60, replaced Xavi Hernández last summer after a trophy-less campaign and had already led Barça to success in the Spanish Supercopa and the Copa del Rey, beating Madrid in both finals.

The league title completes a domestic treble in what has proven a memorable debut campaign in Spain for the German coach.

There was disappointment in the Champions League, however, as Barça exited at the semifinal stage against Inter Milan, although it was their best run in the competition since 2019.

It is the second time in three years Barça have won LaLiga and the 28th time in the club's history, second only to Madrid's 36.

Former Bayern Munich boss Flick was appointed last season with the task of turning a relatively young squad into a team capable of competing for trophies.

He immediately hit the ground running as Barça won 11 of their opening 12 league games, including a 4-0 victory away at Madrid in October.

But after building a six-point lead at the top of the table, Barça's form dipped in November and December when they lost four times in seven games.

That bad run saw them slip behind Real and Atlético Madrid in the table, with Carlo Ancelotti's side moving seven points clear of them at one point in January.

Flick's side bounced back, though, and have remained unbeaten in the league in 2025, not only catching Madrid but pulling clear of them again at the top of the standings.

Last Sunday's 4-3 Clásico win -- their fourth victory against Madrid this season -- gave them a seven-point advantage with just three games to play.

The campaign has been charcterised by Flick's decision to play a high line, press relentlessly and play on the attack regardless of the scoreline.

It has yielded some remarkable matches, with Barça scoring four or more goals in 13 of their LaLiga games to date, including twice against Real and also away at Atlético.

Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski have all dazzled in attack, while keeping Pedri fit in midfield has also helped the team excel consistently.