Summary Barcelona collected its 22nd Spanish league trophy on Saturday.
MADRID (AP) - Barcelona collected its 22nd Spanish league trophy on Saturday after forward Lionel Messi helped it dominate the competition from start to finish with another outlandish scoring campaign.
Barcelona wrapped up a title that had been a foregone conclusion for months when titleholder Real Madrid drew 1-1 at Espanyol, giving it an insurmountable seven-point lead.
Even so, its fourth domestic title in five seasons comes when the first cracks in its five-year run at the top of the sport are starting to show.
Barcelona was recently thrashed by a combined 7-0 score by Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals, its first resounding defeat since former coach Pep Guardiola started its current winning era.
