Real Madrid win record-extending 36th Spanish League title after Barcelona lose at Girona

Barcelona: Real Madrid put its Spanish rivals out of their misery by clinching the league title on Saturday with four games remaining, just in time to turn its full focus to its Champions League semi-final with Bayern Munich.

Madrid did the expected and beat relegation-threatened Cadiz 3-0 even though it was mostly with bench players. Barcelona then lost 4-2 at Girona with a collapse that coach Xavi Hernández admitted was typical of his team’s trophyless season.

That combination of results secured Madrid its record-extending 36th Spanish league title with Girona, which leapfrogged Barcelona into second place, facing an insurmountable 13-point deficit with only a maximum 12 points left in play.

Only a victory by Barcelona at Girona would have stopped Madrid from celebrating the title on Saturday.

Madrid now has a chance to add to its unequaled 14 European Cups. Madrid hosts Bayern on Wednesday with their Champions League semifinal evenly balanced after a 2-2 first-leg

draw in Germany. Either Paris Saint-Germain or Borussia Dortmund will await the winner in the June 1 final.

The club said that it will hold off on the traditional celebration of titles in downtown Madrid until next Saturday with its important game against Bayern coming first.

“We deserved this league title in every way,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said after guiding his team to the second league title and 12th trophy overall in his two stints with Madrid.

“We would like to celebrate with all the fans, but they understand because on Wednesday we have a very important challenge. We want to prepare well to make the fans happy and we will celebrate the title together on Saturday.”

At the start of the season, Madrid appeared set to again play chaser to defending champion Barcelona after Karim Benzema left in the summer and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defenders David Alaba and Eder Militao sustained serious leg injuries.

But Jude Bellingham blossomed into a scorer on arrival from Borussia Dortmund. His goals, and leadership in midfield, combined with the dribbling, speed and goals of Vinícius Júnior. put Madrid well ahead of the rest.

Madrid has only lost once in 34 rounds so far, beat Barcelona in both league “clasico” matches, and dealt Girona a pair of lopsided losses in their two meetings.

BACKUPS SHINE

Ancelotti overhauled his lineup ahead of the decider against Bayern. Center back Nacho Fernández was the only starter from the first leg against Bayern to begin against Cadiz.

Brahim Díaz broke through Cadiz’s defense in the 51st minute at the Santiago

Bernabeu on Saturday when the forward rifled a shot from the edge of the box into the top corner.

Season standout Bellingham tapped in a second goal in the 68th, moments after going on as a substitute to put the result beyond doubt with his 18th league goal of the campaign. Joselu Mato added a third in injury time.

GIRONA IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Xavi’s team suffered the double blow of watching Madrid claim the title because of its loss while at the same time falling behind Girona in a second big loss in the Catalan derby this season. Girona pushed Barcelona into third place at 14 points behind Madrid.

Girona locked up a top-four finish and Champions League berth after opening a 13-point gap over Athletic Bilbao in fifth.

Girona is now on track to create an issue for UEFA which has rules designed to protect the Champions League from having two or more clubs in the same ownership group. Girona and Manchester City are both part of City Football Group backed by the Abu Dhabi royal family.

Girona can also deprive Barcelona of a lucrative spot in the Spanish Super Cup if it holds onto second

place.