Barca seal La Liga crown as Hansi Flick’s high-wire act leaves Real Madrid in ruins

BARCELONA - Barcelona's second straight La Liga title was not so much a procession as a high-wire act with the volume turned up, Hansi Flick's side blending attacking swagger, teenage sparkle and defensive jeopardy in a campaign that captivated fans.

The Clasico win on May 10 over Real Madrid, which left Barca out of reach with three matches to play, was the flourish on a season built on momentum, nerve and a commitment to attack even when common sense might have suggested tapping the brakes.

For Real, it was a more familiar rummage through the debris.

Another season slipped away from the Madrid side without a major title, extending their drought to two campaigns since the arrival of Kylian Mbappe and leaving them with awkward questions about where the next great era is supposed to come from.

Flick's second year in charge at Barca was hardly a serene cruise down the Ramblas. The German had to keep his side motoring despite long injury absences for several key players, including Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and captain Raphinha in different parts of the season.

He also had to navigate the sharp decline in output from Robert Lewandowski. The 37-year-old Poland striker, who scored 42 goals in 52 matches last season, has managed 18 in 43 this term, no longer quite the penalty-box thunderbolt he once was.

Yet Barcelona rarely lost control of their title destiny. Flick did not often have his best lineup available, but he found answers in the squad, with Ferran Torres contributing 16 goals and Yamal, still only 18, producing 16 goals and 11 assists.

Yamal's season was all the more impressive given he struggled early on with a lingering groin problem, but the teenager grew into Barca's standout performer and repeatedly dragged the side forward when inspiration was required.

The title has also deepened Flick's bond with Barcelona's demanding fan base, who have embraced the German's attacking mentality and turned him into a firm favourite. His team have played entertaining football no matter what.

The title rewards a side that have absorbed Flick's ideas: bold, aggressive, occasionally hair-raising and rarely dull.

"It was a tough match and I'll never forget this day," an emotional Flick said to a packed Camp Nou during the title celebrations.

"I want to thank the squad and all the people who have supported us. The most important thing is that I'm very proud to have such a good team. Thank you for everything."

The typically reserved manager kept his victory address concise amid the festivities, adding: "Thank you for that determination to fight in every match. I really appreciate it.

"My team is fantastic and I'm delighted. I'm so proud of my players. It's thrilling to be here with the fans, in a Clasico, beating Real Madrid. Now I think we need to celebrate."

Barca have scored 91 goals in 35 league matches, 21 more than Real, which underlines their firepower even if the defence has sometimes looked like a tightrope act performing in a gale.

Flick's high defensive line has left Barcelona exposed to counter attacks and critics argue his side can be too predictable, unwilling to bend their philosophy to suit different opponents or stages.

That approach was enough to win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia but nothing else.

After claiming a domestic league and cup double last season and reaching the Champions League semi-finals, where they were knocked out in extra time, Barca fell to Atletico Madrid in this year's Copa del Rey semi-finals and exited the Champions League in the quarter-finals also to Diego Simeone's side.

For a club still chasing a return to the summit of European soccer, those exits stung.

Real, meanwhile, endured turbulence from start to finish. Xabi Alonso's appointment failed to deliver despite his success at Bayer Leverkusen, and the former midfielder was sacked midway through the campaign with the dressing room in turmoil.

His successor, Alvaro Arbeloa, could not rescue the season, with Madrid exiting the Champions League in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich, and now faces uncertainty over whether he is the right man to guide them in the next chapter.

Tensions escalated further on May 7 when captain Federico Valverde went to hospital after a changing-room fight with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni, leaving nerves frayed at a club used to measuring its success with more trophies. REUTERS