Entering Saturday, La Liga was the last of Europe’s top five leagues yet to determine a champion this season. Barcelona went into the campaign’s final matchday sitting one point above eternal rival Real Madrid, and in need of another victory to defend its title.
In control of its fate, Barcelona wasn’t about to slip up at the death.
Visiting Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Barcelona defeated Granada CF 3-0 to retain the La Liga crown and capture its 24th title in the top flight of Spanish football. Although Real Madrid was able to produce a win of its own at Deportivo La Coruna, a hat trick from none other than Luis Suarez guaranteed that the Blaugrana lifted the trophy for the second year in a row.
Suarez’s hat trick marked his 38th, 39th, and 40th goals of the La Liga season, meaning he is set to claim the Trofeo Pichichi, awarded to the league’s top scorer. Not since the 2008-09 campaign, when Diego Forlan tallied 32 goals at Atletico Madrid, has the honour been bestowed upon someone other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
40 – Luis Suárez is the third player to score 40 goals in a La Liga season, after Lionel Messi (3) and Cristiano Ronaldo (3). Amazing.
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 14, 2016
Barcelona can still add to its trophy cabinet before Euro 2016 kicks off, as the Catalan club will go up against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final on May 22 at the Vicente Calderon.
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