BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona can clinch the Spanish league title this weekend and finally start moving past the exit of Lionel Messi three years ago.
The club needs only two of the remaining 15 points in play to win its first domestic league since 2019. Its first chance at securing the title is on Sunday when it visits Espanyol.
Barcelona is 13 points ahead of Atletico Madrid, and Xavi Hernández’s team holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. Real Madrid, last year’s champion, is 14 points back in third and solely focused on its Champions League semifinal with Manchester City.
The last time Barcelona lifted the Liga trophy Messi was still the leader of a feared European powerhouse then coached by Ernesto Valverde. That capped a run of eight league titles in 11 seasons, among other trophies including three European Cups.
Since then, Barcelona has suffered a crippling financial crisis that led to the loss of the world’s best player and a subsequent decline on the field.
Barcelona managed to win the 2021 Copa del Rey – Messi’s last title before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain – under Ronald Koeman, but the 2019-20 and the 2021-22 campaigns ended with no silverware.
To turn this around this season, the club leadership made the controversial decision to sell off part of its future television revenues, as well as other assets, in order to inject new talent such as star striker Robert Lewandowski, winger Raphinha, and defenders Jules Koundé and Andreas Christensen.
Sergio Busquets is set to add to his 32 titles with Barcelona, including eight Spanish leagues, before he ends his career at his boyhood club come season’s end. The 34-year-old midfielder announced on Wednesday he will leave Camp Nou this summer.
LIKE A FINAL
Barcelona faces a derby at a rival in desperate need of pulling off an upset.
Espanyol is in danger of joining the already relegated Elche in the second division next season. In second-to-last place, Espanyol is three points behind Getafe, also in danger, and Valencia, which is clinging to safety.
“We know that this is a life-or-death game,” Espanyol midfielder Nico Melamed said. “We will treat this like a final.”
The game will feature a duel between Lewandowski, who leads the league with 19 goals, and the competition's third-top scorer in Espanyol striker Joselu Mato with 14.
A second-half penalty earned and converted by Joselu snatched Espanyol a 1-1 draw at Barcelona in December.
But Espanyol’s last win over Barcelona in any competition came in the 2018 Copa del Rey. Its last win over its mightier opponent in the league was in 2009.
Barcelona has been in control of the title race for almost two months, since beating Madrid 2-1.
If it slips against Espanyol, it will have four more chances starting against Real Sociedad in the following round.
Barcelona has 26 Spanish league titles, second to Real Madrid’s 35.
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