MADRID, Spain -- Lionel Messi was away attending the birth of his son but Barcelona still had more than enough to beat 10-man Malaga 2-0 on Saturday and move 11 points clear at the top of La Liga.
Messi was watching the game on a television in hospital as Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho put his team two up inside half an hour at La Rosaleda, before Samuel Garcia was sent off in the 30th minute for a dangerous tackle on Jordi Alba.
Down a man and without a win in 12 matches, Malaga might have feared a rout but Barca settled for a straightforward victory, perhaps with one eye on Wednesday's Champions League last-16 clash against Chelsea.
On Messi's withdrawal, Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said: "I found out this (Saturday) morning, before leaving home, I had already been called by the delegate of the club and he had told me the circumstances surrounding Leo.
"We already more or less knew when it might happen. It wasn't very difficult to replace him because I had a clear idea of how the game would go."
Messi is expected back against Chelsea at the Camp Nou, where the score is 1-1 from the first leg, but Valverde will have been delighted with how his attackers filled the void, as Suarez, Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele all delivered excellent displays.
In particular, Dembele's brilliant turn and pass was bettered only by Coutinho's flicked finish for what was a superb second goal.
"He has that ability," Valverde said of Dembele.
"Today I think had more success than at other times, but the good thing is that he always goes at the opponent, always challenges them, always tries to dribble, and we need people like that."
The win means Barca extend their advantage over second-placed Atletico Madrid, who can pull the deficit back to eight points with a win over Celta Vigo on Sunday.
Malaga, meanwhile, remain rooted to the bottom of the table.
- Ronaldo 'from another galaxy' -
Earlier on Saturday, Zinedine Zidane labelled Cristiano Ronaldo as "from another galaxy" after the striker's double dragged Real Madrid to a 2-1 win over Eibar.
Ronaldo headed in an 84th-minute winner at Ipurua, having earlier put Real in front with an emphatic near-post finish. Eibar's Ivan Ramis had equalised in between to give the home side hope.
But Ronaldo's two goals mean he has now scored in seven consecutive games and boasts a remarkable 13 goals overall in that period.
The 33-year-old's tally for club and country this season stands at 35 goals in 37 appearances.
"For me he's from another galaxy," Real coach Zidane said. "He knows that he will score. He is a different, special player. The statistics speak for themselves."
Real move four points behind second-placed Atletico Madrid, while Eibar stay eighth.
Gareth Bale started up front alongside the Portuguese, while Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, fit enough only to come off the bench in midweek, returned.
Modric was excellent throughout, the Croatian providing a sublime pass with the outside of his foot for Ronaldo's opener.
"It's true that after 15, almost 20 days, Luka came in and played a great game," Zidane said.
"He is an important player for us and what he did, he did very well."
Valencia remain a point behind Real and all but ended Sevilla's hopes of finishing in the top four by beating Vincenzo Montella's men 2-0.
Sevilla trailed Valencia by eight points before kick-off but that gap was stretched to 11 after two goals from Rodrigo Moreno sealed a comfortable victory.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
BARCELONA - Real Madrid ended a five-year wait to win La Liga on Sunday as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema secured a 2-0 win at Malaga which clinched a 33rd league triumph.
Barcelona fought back from two goals down to beat Eibar 4-2 but the result could not stop Real from lifting the trophy.
Real finished the campaign on 93 points, three clear of last year's champions Barca.
Zinedine Zidane's men only needed a draw to wrap up the title in their final game of the season and raced into the lead when Ronaldo latched onto a through ball from Isco to round Carlos Kameni. That goal ensured Real scored in every league game this season.
Malaga had nothing to play for but made a fist of the game and it took a fine save from Keylor Navas to prevent former Barca player Sandro Ramirez levelling from a freekick later in the first half and the striker also came close from a header.
Real also wasted chances to stretch their lead before Benzema bundled the ball in on the rebound in the 55th minute after Kameni had saved from Sergio Ramos following a corner.
"Just as throughout the season we did it in the end with hard work and by fighting," Zidane told reporters.
"With the type of squad we have we only have to think about working, it's been a very hard fought league win, difficult at some moments, but after 38 games there's no better feeling than being at the top."
There was a brief moment of concern when Ronaldo needed treatment after falling awkwardly from a challenge but the Portuguese, who scored for the fifth time in three league games, was able to finish the game, easing Madrid's anxieties before the Champions League final against Juventus on June 3.
The result secured Real a sixth straight league win since going down 3-2 to Barca in April.
Barca fell two goals behind in their final game of the season against Eibar as Japanese forward Takashi Inui scored either side of the break with two thumping finishes in off the crossbar although the Catalans fought back to win 4-2 with the help of a double from the league's top scorer Lionel Messi.
"The game was a demonstration of what the team has been like in the last few years. We never give up, although we couldn't finish the year how we wanted to," said Barca coach Luis Enrique.
"We weren't consistent enough throughout the season, especially in home games, and in the end we've paid for that."
The Catalans had missed a slew of chances before then and had a goal ruled out but they got a lucky break when Eibar defender David Junca inadvertently sent a loose ball into his own net after Neymar had hit the post.
Luis Suarez knocked in the equaliser in the 73rd minute after Messi had missed a penalty although the Argentine compensated by converting a second spotkick in the 75th and then rounded off the scoring in injury time.
Messi finished the season as top scorer in the league with 37 strikes, ahead of Suarez on 29 and Ronaldo on 25.
Also on Sunday Atletico Madrid said farewell to their beloved Vicente Calderon stadium in the most fitting manner with a 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao thanks to a double by homegrown hero Fernando Torres on Sunday before they move to a new ground.
Atletico finished third with 78 points while Athletic missed out on sixth and a qualifying round spot in next season's Europa League to Basque rivals Real Sociedad, who snatched a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo with an added time leveller from striker Juanmi.
Athletic are seventh but can still earn a place in the Europa League if Barcelona win the King's Cup.
(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Ken Ferris and Pritha Sarkar)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
MADRID, Spain -- Neymar was sent-off as Barcelona lost further ground on Real Madrid at the top of La Liga in a shock 2-0 defeat to Malaga on Saturday.
Real are now three points clear and have a game in hand despite Antoine Griezmann's classy finish five minutes from time snatching a 1-1 draw for Atletico Madrid earlier at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, Real can now afford to lose to Barca at home in two weeks' time and still have a first title in five years in their own hands.
"No matter what the table is like Madrid-Barca is always an attractive game, but winning La Liga depends on winning all the points beforehand," said Barca boss Luis Enrique.
"Today we had a very good opportunity and we couldn't take the points."
Neymar picked up the first red card of his Barcelona career for two bookable offences as the Catalans were left to rue letting Sandro Ramirez join Malaga for free last summer.
Sandro exposed some awful defending from Jeremy Mathieu to sprint clear on goal and slot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen at his near post.
Malaga also had the better chances of the second-half filled with controversy as Juanpi shot straight at Ter Stegen when clean through.
Neymar had been shown his first booking for delaying a Malaga free-kick whilst tying his shoelaces and stupidly charged into Diego Llorente 25 minutes from time to see red.
The hosts then had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside when substitute Adalberto Penaranda finished off a flowing counter-attack.
However, Barca were also infuriated with referee Gil Manzano when he somehow awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box when Sergi Roberto had been brought down clearly inside the area.
Malaga finally picked off the 10 men in the final minute when Pablo Fornals unselfishly squared for Jony to smash home from close range.
-- Real let-off --
Barca's defeat meant Real's disappointment earlier in the day was short lived.
Pepe's towering header early in the second half looked to have Real heading five points clear at the top in the Madrid derby.
However, Griezmann rounded Keylor Navas to slot home at the near post five minutes from time.
"It is a draw but we've lost two points. Clearly we deserved all three points today," said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.
"We played very well, but we lacked the second goal that would have allowed us to relax."
After a slow start, Real took control of the game as the first half wore on and only two stunning stops prevented Zidane's men from taking a half-time lead.
Firstly, Jan Oblak tipped over Karim Benzema's effort after a neat one-two with Ronaldo had freed the Frenchman inside the box.
Moments later Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't believe his eyes when his fierce goal-bound effort was turned to safety by Stefan Savic's incredible headed clearance from under his own crossbar.
Real started the second half with intent as Ronaldo headed just wide before Oblak had to rush from his goal to block Benzema's volley from point-blank range.
The European champions finally made the breakthrough seven minutes into the second period when Pepe rose highest in a crowded penalty area from Toni Kroos's free-kick to power a header into the far corner.
However, Atletico responded to falling behind and should have been level on the hour mark when Yannick Carrasco played in Fernando Torres clear on goal.
The former Spanish international failed to finish, though, as he fired straight at the onrushing Navas.
Navas has faced a barrage of criticsm this season, but he made another smart stop to deny Griezmann levelling with an outrageous overhead kick attempt.
The French international wasn't to be denied from an excellent through ball from Angel Correa with five minutes remaining, however, as he coolly fired past the advancing Navas at the near post for his 23rd goal of the season.
"We know we are a strong team with an incredible mentality," Griezmann told Spanish TV station Movistar.
"I could see my teammates had confidence, desire and the truth is we played a great game."
source: news.abs-cbn.com
