Barcelona was crowned La Liga champions for the 25th time after beating Deportivo La Coruna 4-2 on Sunday with the help of a hat trick from talisman Lionel Messi.
Barca only needed a draw to clinch the title and complete an eighth domestic double after winning the King’s Cup last week and it marched into a 2-0 lead with goals from record signing Philippe Coutinho and top scorer Messi in the first half, Reuters reported.
Deportivo striker Lucas Perez pulled one back five minutes before halftime and Turkish midfielder Emre Colak leveled for the Galicians in the 64th minute.
Struggling Deportivo came close to finding a winner and becoming the first team to beat Barca in the league this season.
But Argentine maestro Messi had other ideas, restoring Barca’s lead from close range in the 82nd minute before completing his treble with his 32nd league goal of the season.
Ernesto Valverde’s unbeaten side has 86 points from 34 games, 11 clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid.
“When you have been chasing the title for so long, you feel a lot of happiness at winning it at last but s well as that we feel satisfied,” Valverde told reporters. Deportivo is 18th on 28th, 12 points adrift of 17th-placed Levante with three games left.
While Deportivo’s players and supporters mourned their return to Spain’s second tier for the first time since 2014, Barcelona’s squad formed a human chain and danced around the center circle.
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