The Champions League elimination hurt. But Barcelona couldn't dwell on it. La Liga was entering its decisive phase, and Real Madrid were breathing down their necks.
With ten matches remaining, the standings were:
Barcelona - 66 points Real Madrid - 63 points Atletico Madrid - 58 points
Every match was crucial. Every point precious.
March 20, 2022 - El ClásicoReal Madrid vs Barcelona - Santiago Bernabéu
The biggest match of the season. Eighty thousand fans at the Bernabéu. All of Spain watching.
Real Madrid needed to win to go top. Barcelona needed to avoid defeat to maintain control.
Koeman set up cautiously. Respect Madrid's quality. Stay compact. Hit on the counter.
For forty-three minutes, the tactics worked perfectly. Neither team could break through. 0-0. Tense. Tactical. Chess at the highest level.
Then, right before halftime, Ethan struck.
A counter-attack. Ter Stegen's long kick. Ethan won the header against Militão. The ball fell to Pedri, who played it back to Ethan.
Suddenly, Barcelona had a three-on-two situation. Ethan drove forward, drawing both defenders toward him. At the last second, he slipped a pass to Dembélé on the right.
The winger crossed. Griezmann headed home.
1-0 Barcelona at halftime.
The Bernabéu fell silent. Eighty thousand stunned faces.
The second half was siege warfare. Real Madrid attacked relentlessly. Benzema, Vinicius, Modrić. Wave after wave of white shirts.
In the sixty-seventh minute, they equalized. Benzema, inevitably. A moment of brilliance. 1-1.
The match opened up. Both teams going for the winner. End-to-end football.
In the eighty-third minute, Ethan delivered the decisive blow.
Receiving the ball on the left wing, he cut inside. Beat Carvajal with a Lavinho roulette. Beat Militão with pure pace. Shot from the edge of the box.
Low. Hard. Far corner. Courtois got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out.
2-1 Barcelona.
Ethan ran to the away section—five thousand Barcelona fans going absolutely crazy. He jumped into their celebration, screaming with pure joy.
Barcelona held on for the final seven minutes.
Final score: Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona.
Victory at the Bernabéu. Six-point cushion restored. The title was within reach.
April-May 2022 - The Final Push
Barcelona didn't falter. Match after match, victory after victory.
Matchday 30: Barcelona 4-0 Sevilla. Ethan: 2 goals. Matchday 31: Barcelona 3-1 Real Sociedad. Ethan: 1 goal, 2 assists. Matchday 32: Celta Vigo 1-3 Barcelona. Ethan: hat-trick. Matchday 33: Barcelona 2-0 Athletic Bilbao. Ethan: 1 goal.
With four matches remaining, Barcelona led by seven points. They needed just two wins to guarantee the title.
May 15, 2022 - Matchday 36Barcelona vs Getafe - Camp Nou
Ninety-nine thousand fans packed Camp Nou. The atmosphere was euphoric. One more win and the title was theirs.
Getafe came to defend. Parked the bus. Made the pitch small.
But Barcelona were relentless. Attack after attack. Chance after chance.
In the twenty-ninth minute, Ethan opened the scoring. A penalty, won by Dembélé's run. He placed it bottom left. Clinical. 1-0.
In the sixty-first minute, he doubled the lead. A brilliant team move—twenty-seven passes—culminating in his tap-in from close range. 2-0.
In the seventy-eighth minute, Griezmann made it 3-0.
Game over. Barcelona 3-0 Getafe.
But they needed one more result to be certain. Real Madrid were still winning their matches.
May 22, 2022 - Matchday 38 - Final DayVillarreal vs Barcelona
The final match of the season. Barcelona needed just a draw to guarantee the title.
Real Madrid, playing simultaneously against Betis, needed to win and hope Barcelona lost.
The Estadio de la Cerámica was packed. Twenty-three thousand fans. The tension unbearable.
Villarreal, chasing European qualification, needed to win too. This was no easy match.
The first half was cagey. Both teams nervous. Too much at stake.
0-0 at halftime.
In the changing room, Koeman was calm. "Forty-five minutes. One point. That's all we need. Stay disciplined. Stay focused."
Ethan stood up. As captain, he addressed his teammates.
"We've fought all season for this. Thirty-seven matches. We're not losing it now. Stay compact. Stay together. And when we get our chance, we finish it."
The team nodded. Ready.
The second half was agonizing. Villarreal attacked. Barcelona defended. The clock ticked slowly.
In the sixty-third minute, news filtered through: Real Madrid had scored. They were beating Betis 2-0.
Barcelona needed to hold on. Couldn't concede.
In the seventy-first minute, Villarreal had a golden chance. Gerard Moreno, one-on-one with Ter Stegen.
He shot. Ter Stegen saved. Incredible.
In the eighty-fourth minute, Barcelona broke the deadlock.
A counter-attack. Busquets won the ball. Played to Pedri. Pedri to Ethan.
One-on-one with the goalkeeper. This was his moment. His responsibility as captain.
He didn't think. Just reacted. Pure instinct. Gerd Müller instinct.
Side-foot finish. Bottom corner. 1-0.
Camp Nou—hundreds of miles away—erupted in celebration. Fans watching on screens went wild.
Ethan ran to the Barcelona fans in the away section. Jumped into their arms. This goal sealed the title.
Barcelona held on for the final six minutes.
Final score: Villarreal 0-1 Barcelona.
Real Madrid 2-0 Betis (irrelevant now).
BARCELONA - LA LIGA CHAMPIONS 2021-22
Celebration
On the pitch at Villarreal, the Barcelona players celebrated wildly. Jumping. Screaming. Crying.
Ethan, as captain, was thrown into the air by his teammates. He'd led Barcelona to back-to-back La Liga titles. The post-Messi era was thriving.
After receiving their medals and trophy, Ethan addressed the traveling fans.
"This is for you! You traveled across Spain to support us. You believed in us. This trophy belongs to you as much as us!"
The fans roared their approval.
Season Statistics - 2021-22
Ethan Loki - Age 22-23:
53 appearances (all competitions) 51 goals (37 La Liga, 9 Champions League, 5 Copa del Rey) 24 assists La Liga Champion ✅ (2nd consecutive) Pichichi Trophy (La Liga top scorer) Copa del Rey Quarter-Finalist Champions League Round of 16 Ballon d'Or 2021 ✅
Team Achievements:
La Liga Champions (2nd consecutive) Copa del Rey Quarter-Finalists
Fifty-one goals in a season. Extraordinary numbers. But Ethan wasn't satisfied. The Champions League still eluded him at Barcelona.
Next season. Next year. He'd win it.
But first, the World Cup.
End of Chapter 35