Barcelona beat Betis, 2-0, to remain on course to a 24th La Liga title — it will clinch with wins over Espanyol and Granada in its final two matches — but it came in for criticism for not matchingthe results of its last two league matches: 6-0 over Sporting Gijon and 8-0 over Deportivo La Coruna.
“What’s the problem, if you don’t win 8-0, does it not count?” Barca coach LuisEnrique responded. “This is a very competitive league with three teams fighting for the title. I don’t think we suffered at all, given the pressure you are under in these games, I think we playedreally well.”
Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid both also won to keep the heat on Barca, which is tied with Atletico — it holds the edge on the tiebreaker, head-to-head — and one pointahead of Real Madrid.