May 09, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 3, 1429

MADRID, May 8: Real Madrid celebrated their league title triumph in style by crushing arch-rivals Barcelona 4-1 at the Bernabeu on Wednesday and helping deprive the Catalans of an automatic place in the Champions League.

First-half goals from Raul and Arjen Robben, a classy strike from Gonzalo Higuain and a penalty from Ruud van Nistelrooy earned Bernd Schuster’s side an emphatic win that delighted the home fans packed into the rain-soaked Real stadium.

Defeat for Barcelona, combined with Villarreal’s 2-0 victory over relegation-threatened Recreativo Huelva left the Catalans seven points behind Manuel Pellegrini’s side who will now finish second in the standings.

Villarreal’s Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci took his tally for the season to 18 with a curling free kick early in the second half and Mexico striker Guillermo Franco made sure of the win late in the game.

With two games left to play champions Real lead the table on 81 points, 10 ahead of Villarreal and 17 clear of Barca.

Atletico Madrid, who play Espanyol on Thursday, are in fourth a further six points back, level with Sevilla who won 3-0 away at Racing Santander.

At the other end of the table, Osasuna stay in the drop zone after a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Real Mallorca, although Recreativo are in front of them only because of a better record in head to heads.

Real Zaragoza also remain in danger after losing 1-0 at Valencia but Getafe eased their relegation worries after coming from two goals down to claim a 4-2 win at home to Almeria to move up to 14th place.

Barca had to clap Real on to the pitch at the start of the game in the traditional tribute to the league champions and they appeared strangely intimidated by their arch-rivals.

Real, however, appeared to be suffering no hangover from their late night title celebrations on Sunday and took immediate control, bossing the midfield and causing Barca’s shaky-looking defence several early scares.

It came as little surprise when Real took the lead on 13 minutes, Raul curling a shot round keeper Victor Valdes after a Guti pass had ricocheted off Barca defender Rafael Marquez.

Barca, who were without the suspended Samuel Eto’o and Deco and the injured Gabriel Milito and Andres Iniesta, appeared powerless to respond and Real took advantage of some more shaky defending eight minutes later.

Guti whipped a free kick into the area and Dutch winger Robben nodded the ball past Valdes to score his second headed goal in two games.

The third came 17 minutes into the second half, Higuain, who hit the winner in Real’s dramatic 2-1 comeback win at Osasuna on Sunday, scoring within a minute of stepping on to pitch.

The Argentine ran on to a neat pass from Mahamadou Diarra, darted between two defenders and coolly lifted the ball past the helpless Valdes.

Van Nistelrooy, making his return after six weeks out with an ankle injury, wrapped up from the penalty spot 11 minutes from time after Carles Puyol handled in the area.

Thierry Henry scored a late goal for Barca but it was little consolation for his side who were thoroughly outclassed by their rivals and ended the game with 10 men when midfielder Xavi was sent off in stoppage time.—Reuters