Lionel Messi fired FC. Barcelona to 1-0 away victory against defending league champions, Atletico Madrid on Sunday May 17 to win its 23rd La Liga titles.
The crucial away victory which kept the gap between the Catalan giants and arch-rival, Real Madrid with one round of La Liga games remaining sets Barcona on the cusp of treble titles.
A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick and Marcelo strike had given Real Madrid a 4-1 victory against Espanyol at El Prat before Barca break down a resilient Atletico at the Vicente Calderon to snatch the crown.
The Sunday triumph capped a glorious week for Barcelona and Lionel Messi who also triumphed against Bayern Munich on 4-2 aggregate last Tuesday to reach the 2915 UEFA Champions League final. Barca will square up against Athletic Bilbao in the King’s Cup final on May 30, before facing Juventus on June 6 for the UCL crown.
Barcelona’s triumph in Madrid also blow up the Los Blanco’s quest for silverware this season having failed to reach the UEFA Champions League finals earlier last week. And pundits also see the outcome of this week’s matches as the ultimate decider of the winner of 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or contest between Messi and Ronaldo.
By Olisemeka Obeche
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