Barcelona pummel Espanyol in derby to clinch first LaLiga title since Messi exit

Barcelona players celebrate Robert Lewandowski's goal at Espanyol on the day they won LaLiga in May 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Barcelona beat Espanyol 4-2 in the derby on Sunday night to clinch their first LaLiga title in four years and a first since Lionel Messi left the club in 2021.

Xavi's side needed just two points to clinch the title, which meant a win at the RCDE Stadium would seal their 27th LaLiga crown and Robert Lewandowski scored twice either side of an Alejandro Balde effort as the Blaugrana went three goals up before half-time.

Defender Jules Kounde made it 4-0 to Barça eight minutes into the second half of a one-sided contest and although Javi Puado pulled one back for the home side later on and Joselu netted in added time, there was only ever going to be one winner.

The Blaugrana have clinched the title with four rounds remaining and could yet finish the season with 97 points, three fewer than the record of 100 set by Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid in 2011-12 and Tito Vilanova's Barça the following season.

It is a 27th league title for the Catalan club and a first since they won it in 2018-19 under Ernesto Valverde.

Messi was also still at Camp Nou at the time and this is Barça's first major silverware since he left in 2021.

Earlier this season, Barça beat rivals Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia to claim their first trophy under Xavi.

Meanwhile, Espanyol remain in trouble at the wrong end of the table, second to bottom and four points adrift of 17th-placed Real Valladolid with four rounds remaining.

Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.