Wild celebrations herald Barca’s 23rd title

Barcelona fans have once more used La Rambla, the famous boulevard, as the focal point to toast the club's stranglehold over Spanish football.

Luis Enrique's side clinched their seventh La Liga title in 11 seasons with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid last Sunday evening, meaning they hold an unassailable four-point advantage over nearest rivals Real Madrid heading into the final round of fixtures.

Lionel Messi scored his 54th goal in 54 games this season — minutes after Real Madrid had taken the lead at Espanyol — and as the final whistle blew at the Vicente Calderon, fans took to the streets of Barcelona to celebrate in typically effervescent style as a sea of colour stretched the full distance of the city's most touristic strip, while Catalan flags were proudly waved and flairs were let off throughout the night.

The raucous celebrations to herald the club's 23rd La Liga crown began at the emblematic Canaletes Fountain in the city centre, and the taste of victory was all the sweeter given that the title was sealed at the home of the outgoing champions Atletico.

Last season the two sides met six times with Barcelona only scoring three times and failing to win on any occasion. There has been a sea change this term, however, with the Catalans racking up eight goals in four matches against Diego Simeone's Rojiblancos.

Phase one of manager Luis Enrique's quest for a treble this season is complete, with the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao ahead at the Camp Nou on May 30, and a Champions League final against Juventus to look forward to the following week. — Sports Mail