Real Madrid made sure Barcelona will have to wait at least until Sunday to wrap up a 22nd La Liga title when Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 200th goal for the club in a 6-2 win at home to nine-man Malaga on Wednesday. Barca need two more points to wrest the league crown back from their arch rivals and secure a fourth title in five years and a win at third-placed Atletico Madrid on Sunday would be enough for Tito Vilanova's side.
Barca have 88 points from 34 of 38 matches, with Real in second on 80 from 35. Atletico, eight points further back in third, secured a berth in the Champions League group stage with a 3-1 win at struggling Celta Vigo earlier on Wednesday.
Both matches had been brought forward due to the King's Cup final between Real and Atletico on Friday May 17. Real coach Jose Mourinho, who seems certain to leave after a disappointing season, was again whistled by a significant section of the home support at the Bernabeu when his name was read out before kick-off. The Portuguese has clashed with several members of the squad in recent weeks, including club captain Iker Casillas, who was again left out of the team, and fans cheered when the Spain goalkeeper's name was read out in the list of substitutes.
Malaga's Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini, whom Mourinho replaced when he joined from Inter Milan in 2010, was also given a warm reception. "The fans do what they think is right," Mourinho's assistant Aitor Karanka told a post-match news conference. Centre back Raul Albiol nodded Real in front from a corner in the third minute before Roque Santa Cruz, who scored in Malaga's 3-2 home win against Real in December, levelled after a quarter of an hour.
The match turned in the 21st minute when Malaga defender Sergio Sanchez was shown a straight red card for bringing Ronaldo down in the area. Although the Portuguese had his spot kick saved by Willy Caballero, who injured his ankle in the process and had to be replaced by Carlos Kameni, Ronaldo netted with an indirect free kick close to goal in the 26th minute. It was his 200th goal on his 197th appearance for Real since joining from Manchester United for a record fee in 2009 and his 34th in La Liga this season.
Atletico trio Diego Costa, Juanfran and Radamel Falcao netted second-half goals at Celta to put the 2010 and 2012 Europa League winners back in Europe's elite club competition for the first time in three years. Atletico climbed on to 72 points with three games left, 14 ahead of fourth-placed Real Sociedad, who have a match in hand.