Barcelona are on course for a third successive league title after a 1-0 win at Villarreal late Saturday moved the double champions eight points clear of bitter rivals Real Madrid in the title race with just eight games left.
Spanish World Cup winner Gerard Pique scored a 67th minute winner as Barcelona capitalised on Real’s surprise 1-0 home loss to unfashionable Sporting Gijon, which ended coach Jose Mourinho’s 150-game league home record.
Barcelona needed a heroic late save from goalkeeper Victor Valdes to clinch all three points and take a huge step towards the 2010/11 league title.
“It is an important step towards the title,” said Pique.
“We just have to keep on going now. Real Madrid will never give up but we have everything in our hands.”
Real Madrid host Barcelona on the weekend April 16/17 at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Mourinho openly admitted that the title race was virtually over after his side surrendered their 100 per cent home record with a 1-0 loss against Sporting Gijon.
Miguel de las Cuevas stunned Real with a 78th-minute winner as Mourinho lost his first home league match in over nine years with his last league home loss back in February 2002 when his FC Porto side lost 3-2 at home to Beira Mar.
“Luck is a part of football and our opponents had it all, while we didn’t have any,” said Mourinho.
The return of Argentine international forward Gonzalo Higuain, out of action with a back problem since late November, was the only positive on a terrible night for Real Madrid, who must pick themselves up for tomor-row’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Tottenham at the Bernabeu.
The Gijon loss was a real boon for Barcelona, who started Lionel Messi on the bench with coach Pep Guardiola not taking any chances on his leg injury ahead of the Champions League quarter-final first leg at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
Italian striker Giuseppe Rossi had two chances early on but was foiled by the heroics of Barca goalkeeper Valdes.
Messi came on for Seydou Keita on 52 minutes to lift Barcelona, but the inspiration came from Pique who controlled a cross on his chest before volleying home the winner.