Their triumph comes after Barcelona lose at Girona
Barcelona: Real Madrid put their Spanish rivals out of their misery by clinching the league title with four games remaining, just in time to turn their full focus to their Champions League semifinal with Bayern Munich.
Madrid did the expected and beat relegation-threatened Cadiz 3-0 even though they were mostly with bench players. Barcelona then lost 4-2 at Girona with a collapse that coach Xavi Hernandez admitted was typical of his team’s trophyless season.
That combination of results secured Madrid their record-extending 36th Spanish league title with Girona, who leapfrogged Barcelona into second place, facing an insurmountable 13-point deficit with only a maximum 12 points left in play. Madrid now have a chance to add to their unequaled 14 European Cups. Madrid host Bayern on Wednesday with their Champions League semifinal evenly balanced after a 2-2 first-leg draw in Germany.
Either Paris Saint-Germain or Borussia Dortmund will await the winners in the June 1 final.
