Barça’s triumph against Real Madrid (2-1) has provoked different approaches on the front pages of the press this Monday, but they all come to the same conclusion: the blaugrana alirón in the League is a matter of time. While in the media published in the Spanish capital they leave a space for Marco Asensio’s disallowed goal, in the Catalan headlines they focus, above all, on the Barcelona party that took place at the Camp Nou.
“A victory to caress the League”, highlights La Vanguardia on its cover with a photograph of Kessié, scorer of the winning goal in added time. Mundo Deportivo speaks of “ecstasy” at the culé stadium to illustrate a key victory that leaves Xavi Hernández’s pupils with an income of 12 points at the head of the Santander League. “Barça leaves the title practically sentenced”, he adds.
The line followed by Sport is very similar, which describes the Barça apotheosis in the 26th league matchday with the word “delirium” and also anticipates the title with “coup de coupe”, even assuring that “Barça sentences the League”. In the newspaper AS they headline with a “sanseacabó” to conclude that the goal of “Kessié, in discount, makes Barça virtual champion”.
Totally different is the cover of Marca, which dedicates the photo and the headline to the disallowed goal against Asensio in the 80th minute, which at that moment put Ancelotti’s team ahead on the scoreboard. “A millimeter from the League”, you can read in the sports newspaper next to the VAR shot of that play that marks with two very tight lines the illegal position of the Mallorcan ahead of Koundé. They also reflect Ancelotti’s doubts regarding this action, as well as Xavi’s contrary opinion, and echo the chant of “Vinícius, die” that according to the newspaper was heard at the Camp Nou.
The general newspapers also end the fight for the title. “Barça finishes off the League in an agonizing match”, opted for this headline on its El País cover, very similar to that of El Periódico: “Barça sentences the League”. For its part, El Mundo adds a reference to the controversial payments made by the Barça club for years to the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees: “Madrid says goodbye to the League and gives air to Barça in the middle of the Negreira case.”
In the international press the headlines are practically unanimous about the giant step that Barça took to become champion. “Barça is headed for the title,” the prestigious French newspaper L’Équipe highlights on one of its front pages, while La Gazzetta dello Sport highlights that “Kessié sinks a Real Madrid that is already at -12” points. The Ivorian previously played for Milan. “Kessié’s late goal brings Barça closer to the title”, headlines the English The Guardian.
