FC Barcelona are La Liga champions after beating Granada 3-0 at Nuevo Los Carmenes with three goals from Luis Suarez.
The defending champions came into this final fixture of the season as massive favourites, boasting a one-point advantage over Real Madrid but also a better head-to-head record.
Despite all the complicated mathematics, the most simple was that if Barcelona could beat a side that guaranteed their La Liga survival last week then they would be champions.
And Suarez fired them to victory, with a hat-trick to confirm his Pichichi title and take him to an outstanding 40 goals for the season to become the first player other than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to finish as La Liga’s top scorer since 2009.
Suarez, who scored 14 in the final five games, finished five clear of Real Madrid’s Ronaldo — last year’s winner.
For Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid, their 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna was all in vain as it was not enough to dislodge the Catalans.
The Champions League finalists put out their strongest possible starting XI at the Riazor and immediately put pressure on title rivals Barcelona with a seventh minute goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, tapping in after Karim Benzema’s mis-kick.
Ronaldo helped himself to a 35th La Liga goal of the season midway through the half, heading home Toni Kroos’ corner and he also hit the bar twice in the opening period.
But with Barcelona cruising to victory at Granada, Los Blancos’ only hopes of silverware now rest on their titanic European Cup final tussle with Atletico in two weeks time.
— Reuters
