Real Madrid has been confirmed as this season’s La Liga champion after results went its way on Saturday.
Los Blancos knew they had to beat Cadiz at the Bernabeu in order to have a chance of wrapping up the title with four games to spare.
Despite head coach Carlo Ancelotti making 10 changes to his side that drew 2-2 against Bayern Munich in a Champions League semifinal first leg midweek, a second string outfit still trounced its visitors with goals from Brahim Diaz, substitute Jude Bellingham and Joselu during a 3-0 win.
Attention then turned to a Catalan derby between FC Barcelona and Girona, which kicked off not long after the full time whistle in the Spanish capital.
Barca took an early lead in Montilivi, to at least hand itself a fighting chance in the title race when Andreas Christensen put Xavi’s men ahead in three minutes.
Just a minute later, however, Pichichi contender Artem Dovybk popped up with an equalizer after a dreadful marking mistake from Pau Cubarsi and Joao Cancelo in defense.
Robert Lewandowski gave the Blaugrana the lead on the stroke of half time, yet his penalty strike proved to be Barca’s last goal of the game as they succumbed to a Portu brace and another strike from Miguel Gutierrez as Girona romped to a second 4-2 victory over its regional neighbors this term.
The win guaranteed Champions League football for Girona next term, and stole back second place to put them in line for participation in the lucrative Spanish Super Cup.
The landmark development also meant that Madrid was giftwrapped the title, however.
Despite this turn of events, though, head coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted earlier that his men wouldn’t head to the Cibeles fountain in Madrid city center on Saturday night to celebrate the milestone.
“Tomorrow there’s training and everyone does what they want tonight, like this afternoon. But there’s nothing organized. We have to think about Wednesday,” the Italian said, in reference to a last four second leg against Bayern Munich.
“If we have to celebrate, we’ll do it next Sunday – something that the fans understand perfectly.
“We haven’t won yet, so we can’t come up with scenarios like ‘if Barcelona wins…’,” Ancelotti said, advising his men to go home with “peace of mind and thinking about Bayern”.
