La Liga round-up: Real defeat hands Barcelona title

Updated: 01 Jun, 2009 • 0 • min read

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Barcelona won the La Liga title for the first time in three years after second-placed Real Madrid went down 3-2 at Villarreal.

Knowing nothing but a victory would do if they were to delay Barça's title celebrations, Real started well enough and should have taken the lead inside the opening four minutes when the unmarked Gabriel Heinze headed over from six yards out.

And they fell behind on 17 minutes when Robert Pires beat goalkeeper Iker Casillas with a looping header from Ariel Ibagaza's cross.

Rafael van der Vaart drew the visitors level two minutes into the second half as Gonzalo Higuaín's first-time pass across the face of goal allowed the Dutchman the easiest of tap-ins.

The hosts re-took the lead in the 62nd minute when Cani seized on a mistake by Fabio Cannavaro in the penalty area and lashed a first-time shot past Casillas.

Real then gave themselves a lifeline when Higuaín equalised two minutes from time from what appeared to be an offside position.

But there was still time left for Villarreal to grab a winner when Joan Capdevila capitalised on a mistake by Casillas to score.

Villarreal