Lionel Messi came off the bench to score the winner against Levante on Saturday as Barcelona clinched their 26th La Liga title and second in succession.
With a tough Champion’s League tie against Liverpool in the week ahead, the little maestro was left on the bench before he came on for the second half and netted in the 62nd minute to seal the title for the Catalan giants.
This is the clubs 26th league title in history and the fourth in just five years which highlights the Messi led dominance of Barcelona in La Liga over the past few seasons.
While there are still matches remaining, the recent victory over Atletico Madrid proved valuable as their nine-point lead and head-to-head situation meant that no-one can catch them.
While the players celebrated on the pitch of Camp Nou, Ernesto Valverde was quick to point out that their season was far from over with a treble still on the cards.
“We are happy, but we still have challenges ahead. Winning the title with distance and with margin are things that with the competitors we have is difficult,” said the Barcelona boss.
Barcelona will go into the fixture on Wednesday brimming with confidence whilst also not having to worry about their domestic season anymore. Assuming Manchester City beat Burnley on Sunday then Liverpool, while full of confidence, will head into the match with one eye on the weekend’s fixtures with their Premier League hopes dependant on their rivals dropping points.
So, for now, Barcelona and the players will celebrate into the night. But come tomorrow, all eyes will be on On Wednesday and the push for a potential treble.
