Just in time for the semi-final second leg of the Champions League against FC Bayern Munich, Real Madrid celebrated its 36th Spanish championship title on Saturday. Coach Carlo Ancelotti’s team scored an easy 3-0 win against relegation candidates FC Cadiz and benefited from another slip-up by eternal rivals FC Barcelona, who lost 4-2 at third-placed FC Girona.
The Royals have already secured their first title of the season four match days before the end of the season, although Ancelotti rotated to ten positions with a view to the premier class game against Munich next Wednesday (9 p.m./Dazn) and rested numerous regular players, including national player Toni Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger, including Jude Bellingham, initially sat on the bench but was later substituted on. The Belgian national goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made his comeback after a month-long break due to a torn cruciate ligament. Brahim Diaz (51st minute), ex-Dortmunder Bellingham (68th) and Joselu (90th + 3) scored the goals for Real.
For the Catalans, however, the fight for the title is over prematurely. Barcelona took the lead twice thanks to goals from Andreas Christensen (3rd) and Robert Lewandowski (45th + 1/foul penalty). However, after the early connection by Artem Dowbyk (4th), Girona turned the game around within a few minutes with goals from Portu (65th/75th) and Miguel Gutierrez (67th) and also pushed Barcelona out of second place in the table.