Decoding Barcelona's 26th La Liga triumph
What's the story
Barcelona are the masters of league football in the modern era. The Spanish giants have made winning La Liga a habit.
On Saturday, the Lionel Messi-led side scripted their 26th La Liga triumph in the history of the game, when Barcelona beat Levante 1-0 courtesy of a goal by Messi.
Notably, this was their eighth title in 10 years.
Here we decode Barca's triumph.
Twitter Post
Barca's 26 La Liga honors
1928/29, 1944/45, 1947/48, 1948/49, 1951/52, 1952/53, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1973/74, 1984/85, 1990/91, 1991/1992, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1997/98, 1998/99, 04/05, 05/06, 08/09, 09/10, 10/11, 12/13, 14/15, 15/16, 17/18, 18/19. 💙🏆❤
— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) April 27, 2019
Barça win their 26th #LaLigaSantander title! pic.twitter.com/9l6MLHMf7D
Stat attack
A look at some of the interesting stats
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde pocketed his second successive La Liga honor.
Messi is 2018-19 La Liga's top goal-scorer with 34 to his name. He also leads the chart in terms of assists (13).
Luis Suarez (21 goals and 6 assists) follows suit.
In 35 matches played so far, Barca registered 25 wins, eight draws and two defeats. They sealed the title with 83 points.
Factors
Barca shine under Messi's leadership
Messi led from the front as Barca produced an all-round performance throughout the season. His goal-scoring form was the major highlight this term.
The legend pocketed his 10th La Liga with the club.
Suarez played a solid hand as well. The mid-field duo of Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets shined as well. These four were the architects.
The defensive line also delivered consistent performance.
La Liga
Barca's dominance against Madrid teams paid dividends
Barcelona endured a mixed run of form in September-October 2018, but the 5-1 win against Real Madrid marked their growth in the big games.
They picked up form from December onwards.
They defeated Real in the second meeting and won against Atletico Madrid in April.
Throughout the season, even when they performed below par, the team ensured that it managed to get a draw.
Domination
Barca's domination needs to be celebrated
Barca's domination in Spain saw them registering their fourth La Liga crown in five years. They need seven more to equal Real's tally (33).
In terms of the goal-difference, Barca (54) are miles ahead of Atletico (29).
Interestingly, Barca are 18 points above Real.
If Barca win all their remaining league games, they will end with 92 points. Last season, Barca collected 93 points.
Information
What makes them successful?
Barcelona have stayed true to their potential. Nothing much has changed since Pep Guardiola's departure. The DNA is intact and they are performing well as a team. Further, they have several match-winners in their squad. Lastly, the presence of Messi has a massive impact.