Barcelona won’t be competing for another Champions League trophy next Saturday at the Bernabéu, but they still found a way to stick it to their archrivals on the last day of the season.
With the title still up for grabs, Barça left no doubt who was the best club in La Liga. The Catalans clinched their 20th Spanish league title – and fourth in the last six seasons – with a 4-0 demolition of Real Valladolid in front of a packed Camp Nou.
Lionel Messi scored his 33rd and 34th goals of the season – easily winning the Pichichi as La Liga’s top scorer and tying Ronaldo's club record from 1996-97 – and set up Pedro for another to ensure that Barcelona retained their title and didn’t end the season empty-handed.
The defending champs began the final weekend of the season up a single point on second-place Real Madrid, and early in the match, it looked like things would be interesting. But after being a gifted own-goal by Valladolid defender Luis Prieto in the 27th minute, Barcelona took full control of the match and didn’t let up until the final whistle.
Meanwhile, on the Spanish Riviera, Madrid tried to keep pace, but were held by Málaga 1-1. The Andalucians jumped on Real in the ninth minute when Duda put his side on the board after a midfield breakdown.
Madrid knocked on the door several times as the match went on, but couldn’t find the net until the 49th minute, when Rafael van der Vaart fought off two Málaga defenders and fired off a right-footer while falling past Gustavo Munúa.
That was as close as Real would get. Despite a $330 million offseason makeover with splashy additions of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Karim Benzema, los Blancos will go trophy-less for a second straight season.
Barcelona finish the season with a 31-6-1 record, a 99-point haul that easily set the record in La Liga. Madrid’s 96 points also breaks the previous mark. Valencia finished a distant third with 71, while Sevilla wrapped up the fourth and final Champions League spot on Saturday with a 3-2 win at AlmerÃa. Mallorca and Getafe clinched Europa League spots.
There was more drama at the bottom of the table on Sunday as well, with the three relegation spots undetermined. But losses by Valladolid, Tenerife and Jozy Altidore's onetime club, Xerez, ensured the last-place trio the drop.
Italy
For all practical purposes, all they needed was a draw. But Inter Milan showed the kind of killer instinct and composed professionalism every José Mourinho-coached team is renowned for by winning 1-0 away to Siena to secure the Serie A title.
It is the fifth straight Scudetto won by the Nerazzurri.
Roma, who started the day two points behind Inter in the standings, managed a 2-0 win at Chievo, but the three points were not enough to earn the Giallorossi their first Scudetto since 2001. They have finished second three seasons in a row.
Inter's goal came in 57th minute, created by two of their Argentine contingent. Club captain Javier Zanetti – who was astoundingly left off the Argentine World Cup squad – streaked through the Siena defense before slipping a deft through-ball into striker Diego Milito. Already with 21 goals to his name this season, Milito stroked a low shot under goalkeeper Gianluca Curci to seal the proceedings and give the traveling Interistas something to sing about.
In Verona, Roma got first-half goals from Marko Vucinic and Daniele De Rossi to at least give themselves a chance at the title.
In the battle for the final Champions League spot, Sampdoria did what they had to do, getting three points at home with a 1-0 win over Napoli. Giampaolo Pazzini struck in the 52nd minute to secure 4th place in the league and a berth in the Champions League qualifying stage.
Their rivals for the spot, Palermo, could only muster a 1-1 draw away to Atalanta. The Sicilians and Napoli finish in 5th and 6th, with tickets to next year's Europa League.
