Barcelona secured their first La Liga title since 2019 after defeating Espanyol 4-2 on Sunday, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice and goals from Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde.

The victory marked a significant improvement for Barcelona, who have endured a difficult period on and off the pitch.

The triumph was also a first major trophy for coach Xavi Hernandez since taking over in November 2021.

Barcelona’s victory was sealed with four games to spare, leaving city rivals Espanyol 19th and four points from safety.

Despite the celebrations, the match ended with pitch invaders chasing Barcelona players from the field, with scenes turning ugly at full time.

Espanyol coach Luis Garcia condemned the incident, saying that measures were in place to avoid it.

In earlier matches, Atletico Madrid suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat at the hands of relegated Elche, while Valencia won an important late victory at Celta Vigo to climb provisionally to 14th, three points above the relegation zone.