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Barcelona, Real Madrid win as title race continues

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Barcelona, Real Madrid win as title race continues
The La Liga title race will go to the final day after Barcelona and Real Madrid both won on Sunday, but Atletico Madrid’s challenge is over.
The penultimate round of fixtures began with Barca and Atletico level on 85
points at the top with Real just a point behind, but Luis Enrique’s men could have clinched a sixth La Liga crown in eight years if results had gone their way, due to their superior head-to-head record over both capital clubs this term.
Barca did their job, thrashing city rivals Espanyol 5-0, but Real Madrid ensured the champagne would remain on ice at the Nou Camp by beating
Valencia 3-2 to record their 11th successive La Liga win.
That means defending champions Barca will go into their final match at Granada still boasting a one-point lead overbitter rivals Real, who travel to Deportivo La Coruna.
However, Atletico – who will face Real in the Champions League final later this month – are now out of it after they were surprisingly beaten 2-1 at
relegated Levante.
Fernando Torres gave Atletico an early lead but Victor’s equaliser
and
Giuseppe Rossi’s late breakaway goal at the Ciutat de Valencia means 2014
champions Atletico now cannot overhaul Barca.
For Barca, the result never looked in doubt. Lionel Messi’s eighth-minute
free-kick was all that separated the teams at the break, but a brace from
Luis Suarez plus strikes from Rafinha and Neymar in the second half ensured
Barca of an eighth successive derby win at the Nou Camp – with a combined
26-2 scoreline.
Real also picked up three points, but had a much tougher time of it against
Valencia. Two Cristiano Ronaldo goals either side of a Karim Benzema strike
earned Zinedine Zidane’s men the win, but they were made to sweat by
strikes from Rodrigo – who was sent off late on – and Andre Gomes.
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