Real Madrid wrapped up their first La Liga championship in four years tonight with a straightforward 3-0 win at the Estadio San Mames. Cristiano Ronaldo led the way with a goal and an outstanding assist to take Los Merengues seven points clear of Barcelona with only two matches left to play.

With the disappointment of their Champions League exit now behind them, Jose Mourinho and co. were looking forward to closing out the La Liga title, but faced a tricky foe in Athletic Bilbao. The home side were in dire need of points to help them secure a qualifying berth for next year’s Europa League, a competition that they fared well in this season, earning a spot in next week’s final at the expense of Sporting.

With so much attacking flair on both sides, the game was fairly open for the majority of the opening half with Real Madrid in particular creating chances at will. Los Merengues missed a chance to take the lead on 12 minutes after Javi Martinez was ruled to have committed handball in the penalty area, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s audacious effort from the spot was saved by keeper Gorka Iraizoz.

The uncharacteristic penalty miss from Ronaldo, his second in three matches, did not prove costly for Real Madrid. Gonzalo Higuain put the visitors ahead in the 16th minute with an impressive strike from 20 yards after receiving the ball from Ozil. The striker had time to take a touch to get the ball out of his feet before bending his shot past the helpless Iraizoz.

Superb Ronaldo assist

Four minutes later, Ronaldo atoned for his earlier gaffe by providing a glorious assist for Mesut Ozil. From the right wing, Ronaldo carefully bent his cross-field pass around several Bilbao defenders, some at full stretch, to find Ozil who was left with the simple task of sliding the ball across the goalkeeper into the net.

The match remained extremely competitive, and Bilbao began to create chances of their own. An Inigo Perez free kick was punched out by Casillas, but Ibai Gomez’s rebounded shot took a wicked deflection, wrong-footing Casillas and rattling the crossbar. It was as close as Bilbao would come to a goal in the first half. Only 45 minutes stood between Jose Mourinho and his first La Liga title.

Cristiano Ronaldo made further amends for his penalty miss by scoring Real Madrid’s third of the night only five minutes into the second half. Xabi Alonso’s in-swinging corner was picked out by Ronaldo, and his deft header redirected the ball into the far corner of the net beyond Iraizoz.  It was Ronaldo’s 44th goal in La Liga this season and his 58th in all competitions.

Oscar de Marcos once again struck the post for Athletic Bilbao, but by now Madrid were in cruise control and the chance was rather an aberration. The situation grew worse for the hosts when Javi Martinez was sent off in the 72nd minute after receiving his second yellow card of the night, again for handball.

On the night, and indeed for much of the season, Real Madrid was simply irrepressible, and capped a much-improved 2nd season under Mourinho with the La Liga crown they so richly deserved.

Mourinho the master

Mourinho has now won an incredible seven league titles in a decade in four different countries, including the world’s three strongest leagues: England, Italy and Spain. Add to that two Champions Leagues, a UEFA Cup and countless domestic cups, and one can surely make a compelling case that the Portuguese tactician is the greatest coach of all time.

As for Real Madrid’s Portuguese playing contingent, the celebrations will be short-lived as an even greater task looms in Ukraine and Poland. With pre-tournament friendlies only a few weeks away, Cristiano Ronaldo, Fabio Coentrao and Pepe will be keen to stay injury free and get a modicum of rest before the Seleccao squad get-together at the end of May.

by Nathan Motz

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