It’s truly a Real take

Kevin Fylan

Madrid, May 27: Real Madrid won their 28th Spanish league title in style on Saturday, two goals from Raul and another magisterial display from Luis Figo helping them to a 5-0 victory at home to Alaves. Raul set Real on their way on 21 minutes with a neat chip over keeper Martin Herrera and set up the second for Guti a minute later as Alaves looked in vain for an offside flag.

Figo then took over in the second half, sending in three superb right-foot crosses to set up simple headers for Fernando Hierro, Ivan Helguera and, once again, Raul.

The result gave Real an unassailable nine-point lead over outgoing champions Deportivo Coruna in second place.

Final league positions for teams finishing level on points in Spain are decided by head-to-head records before goal difference and as Real have taken four points off Depor this season they cannot be caught.

“It’s a moment of great satisfaction,” said coach Vicente del Bosque in a typical moment of understatement.

“I’m lucky to have this group of fantastic players.”

A 75,000 full house at the Bernabeu were chanting “Ole!” throughout the second half in anticipation of the club’s first league title since 1997.

When the final whistle was blown the crowd struck up with “we are the champions” as the team embarked on a long lap of honour.

In another match played on Saturday, sixth-placed Celta Vigo stayed on course for a UEFA Cup slot next season with a 1-0 win at Las Palmas.

The victory, which came via an Eduardo Berizzo goal seven minutes after halftime, took Celta four points clear of seventh-placed Villarreal.

REAL MADRID CELEBRATE: Real Madrid celebrated their first Spanish league title for four years with champagne, smiles and even a spot of bullfighting on Saturday.

A 5-0 win at home to Alaves gave Vicente del Bosque’s side a decisive nine-point lead at the top of the table and a record 28th championship trophy.

Goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who had to be content with a place on the bench on Saturday, livened up the celebrations still further by driving the players on the stretcher cart up and down the field.

And Raul, who took his tally for the season to 22 with two goals on Saturday, struck the pose of the “torero” as he paraded with a bullfighter’s cape in the centre of the pitch.

Meanwhile, thousands more supporters were waiting at the Cibeles fountain in the centre of the city to welcome their heroes.

“We wanted to win the league like this, in front of our own fans,” said Raul, one of the survivors from the last title-winning team four years ago.

“We’ve done it in the best way possible and now we’re going to go and crown the moment at Cibeles.” ( Reuters)