Madrid: Real Madrid clinched a record-extending 34th La Liga title with one game to spare by beating Villarreal 2-1 at home Thursday. Both the goals were scored by their leading scorer Karim Benzema. It is the first time in a decade that Real Madrid have won the title without Cristiano Ronaldo. It was all the more sweet for Real Madrid as arch rivals Barcelona slumped to a 1-2 home defeat against Osasuna. That result meant that Real Madrid had clinched the title with a game to spare.
Benzema on the money
Karim Benzema fired through the legs of keeper Sergio Asenjo to put Madrid ahead after 29 minutes. He then converted a penalty in the 77th to help Real Madrid on their way to a remarkable 10th consecutive league win. It is indeed a remarkable feat since the season resumed after the COVID-19 stoppage.
Benzema had put the ball in the net moments earlier after an audacious pass from the spot kick by original penalty taker Sergio Ramos. However, it had to be re-taken due to encroachment.
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The French forward then stepped up to take the penalty himself and slammed it into the bottom corner to score. It was his 21st league goal of the campaign.
Villareal defiant
Villarreal pulled a late goal back through Vicente Iborra and should have snatched an equaliser in added time but missed. Real’s Marco Asensio thought he had added a third goal later on but it was ruled out by VAR for offside.
Delightful moment
After the match Real captain Ramos hoisted the Liga trophy into the air at the empty Alfredo di Stefano stadium. “To return after spending three months locked in our homes and to win 10 matches in a row is incredible. However, I always believed in my team and knew we could win it,” said Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Meanwhile Barcelona’s embarrassing run continued and it left Lionel Messi fuming. Having struggled since La Liga restarted in mid-June following the new coronavirus outbreak, the defeat left Barca on 79 points. They were seven behind Real Madrid with one game left, and the loss prompted an angry broadside from Lionel Messi.
Messi angry
“We didn’t expect to finish in this way, but it sums up the year for us. We are a weak team who can be beaten with enough intensity and enthusiasm,” the Argentine told ‘Spanish TV’. “We have lost a lot of points which we shouldn’t have done. We have been very inconsistent. We need to be self-critical, starting with the players, but also across the entire club. We are Barcelona, and we are obliged to win every game,” Messi added.
Embarrassing loss
Osasuna took the lead when Adrian Lopez set Pervis Estupinan free with a clever pass down the left. His final ball was drilled into the bottom corner by striker Jose Arnaiz in the 16th minute.
Messi hit the crossbar with a free-kick in the 22nd, but made no mistake with another one in the 62nd minute. However, Osasuna got the winner deep into added on time through Roberto Torres to leave Barcelona and Messi frustrated.