LONDON, May 13: Paris St Germain sealed their first Ligue 1 title since 1994 with a 1-0 win at Olympique Lyon on Sunday while Barcelona celebrated their 22nd La Liga title with a 2-1 comeback win at Atletico Madrid.

David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic kept possession in the corner of the pitch, playing down the clock as they closed in on winning the league title in a fourth different country as victory put PSG seven points clear of second-placed Olympique Marseille with two games left.

After spending more than 250 million euros on players by their wealthy Qatari owners, PSG’s long wait for a third league title was over.

Jeremy Menez scored the decisive goal in the 53rd minute against a limp Lyon side and that proved enough to deliver the silverware.

For Beckham and Ibrahimovic, two of football’s biggest names, it was just the latest triumph in careers long used to success.

Beckham now has 10 league winners’ medals from his time at PSG, Manchester United, Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Ibrahimovic has won championships at five clubs — PSG, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona and Ajax — and there were two with Juventus that were later revoked because of the 2006 match-fixing scandal.

“I am very happy, especially because it is not easy to win here,” said PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has yet to confirm if he will stay at the club next term, after securing a third league title after winning with Milan and Chelsea.

“We showed that we deserved the title. It was a difficult season, but after December we became more solid and compact and things went well.”

PSG’s victory gave rivals Marseille automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League group stage by leaving them with a seven-point lead over third-placed Lyon, who have 63.

Lyon are in the final Champions League qualifying spot just three points ahead of fourth-placed Lille and Nice, who are fifth but were thrashed 4-0 at relegation-threatened Evian Thonon Gaillard.

Barca marked their crowning as La Liga champions when a bizarre own-goal from Atletico captain Gabi decided the clash at the Calderon despite finishing the game with 10 men.

Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Espanyol on Saturday meant that the Catalans, who now have four titles in five years, could no longer be caught and they moved 10 points clear at the top on 91 with three games left.

Radamel Falcao had threatened to spoil Barca’s title party when he struck in the 51st minute, taking advantage of slips by Gerard Pique and Alex Song to slot home his 28th league goal of the season.

Barca had to play with 10 men for the last 20 minutes after Lionel Messi was forced to leave the pitch with a recurrence of his hamstring injury after coach Tito Vilanova had already made his three substitutions.

However, Alexis Sanchez levelled in the 72nd, prodding home from close range, before David Villa’s miscued shot was diverted into his own net by Gabi eight minutes later to restart Barca’s party.

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova took time to thank his players for continuing to win without him this winter when he had to step aside to treat a throat tumour.

“It’s quite remarkable what my players have done this season,” the first-year head coach said. “I have already said that this could have only happened in this club, spending two months without a head coach and not letting it affect anything. That’s because all these players feel at home here, they feel like the club belongs to them.”

Elsewhere in Italy, AC Milan’s hopes of Champions League football next season lie in the balance after they had Sulley Muntari dismissed before halftime and drew 0-0 with AS Roma in a Serie A match briefly halted for racist behaviour in the crowd.

Visitors Roma’s 36-year-old captain Francesco Totti was also sent off for elbowing in an unsavoury match which was halted for around one minute because of chanting by Roma fans aimed at Milan’s Mario Balotelli.

“Unfortunately in Italy there is still this mentality, with a culture which is a bit retrograde,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said.

“People should go to the stadium to watch a football match. Unfortunately these things continue to happen.

’’We had two games to clinch third spot, now we only have one left. We have to try to win at Siena. We are aware that destiny is in our own hands and we can win at Siena. The lads have to be calm because they have had a great year.”

Milan needed to beat Roma to clinch third place with a game to spare but now have 69 points from 37 games with Fiorentina two points behind, ensuring the battle for the Champions League qualifying spot goes down to the final round.—Agencies