Araujo lifts the Liga trophy with the entire squad
/ Valentí Enrich
Ivan San Antonio
Barcelona has already secured the 2025-2026 La Liga title with three matchdays remaining. The superiority and consistency displayed throughout the season were so evident that during Real Madrid’s visit to the Spotify Camp Nou, only the Blaugrana team showed up. Los Blancos endured a dreadful campaign against a Barça side that, for the second consecutive year, confirmed its dominance in Spanish football.
However, reaching this point was far from easy. Thirty-five matchdays from August to May covered a lot of ground, and while the solidity of Hansi Flick’s squad was exemplary, there were various situations, not always favorable to the champions’ interests. Below, we review ten moments that, over time, proved decisive in securing Barcelona’s third league title in four years.
**Flick, Ego, and Success**
After two consecutive away wins against Mallorca and Levante in the opening two matchdays, the third straight away game (as requested by the club due to Camp Nou renovations) saw Barça draw 1-1 at Vallecas against Rayo Vallecano. Flick was deeply disappointed with the team’s performance and used the post-match press conference to issue a warning: “Last year we played and worked as a team, and the most important thing is that there are no egos because that kills the team’s success,” he reflected, delivering one of the season’s most memorable quotes. He wasn’t happy with what he saw and felt it was time to sound the alarm. The draw put Real Madrid top, as they had won their first six matches.
Hansi Flick, Barcelona coach
/ VALENTÍ ENRICH
**Double Home Game at the Johan Cruyff**
Despite playing the first three matchdays away, the team—which had already left the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, though it would still return there three times—could not yet return to the Camp Nou. This forced them to play two home matches at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, sparking some controversy and inconvenience. Nevertheless, the Blaugrana comfortably handled both fixtures: a 6-0 win over Valencia and a 3-0 victory against Getafe. In fact, the team’s performance in those two games was vastly improved from Vallecas, restoring optimism in the dressing room. Real Madrid remained top.
**Madrid’s First Major Blow**
Real Madrid had won every match until matchday seven, playing with varying degrees of attractiveness but absolute efficiency. That changed when they faced the Madrid derby at the Metropolitano. Simeone’s side proved to be the first major test for Xabi Alonso’s team, who suffered a crushing 5-2 defeat—a scoreline that fairly reflected the balance of play. Meanwhile, Barcelona capitalized on Madrid’s stumble by beating Real Sociedad, moving to the top of the table with a one-point lead.
Xabi Alonso and Vinicius after their encounter in the Clásico
/ EFE
**The Worst Match of the Season**
The league leadership somewhat disoriented Barcelona’s players, despite Flick’s earlier warnings that nothing is given at this level. The message seemed to sink in—until matchday eight, when Barça visited the Sánchez Pizjuán. There, the soon-to-be champions played their worst match of the season, just days after losing to PSG in the Champions League. A disaster from start to finish ended in a deserved 4-1 thrashing by a rival that would later fight to avoid relegation. It was a painful defeat, but necessary at the time to spark a reaction—almost a turning point. Real Madrid regained the lead with a two-point advantage.
**A Clásico with Unpredictable Consequences**
Barcelona arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu (matchday 10) two points behind Real Madrid.
