Barca champions, Depor down!

Barcelona regained their Liga crown and relegated Deportivo La Coruna in the process after a 4-2 win on Sunday.

See how the match unfolded at Riazor with our liveblog!

Depor came back from 2-0 down for the third time in three years, but Lionel Messi's hat-trick clinched a domestic double for Barca and condemned the hosts to Segunda football next season.

Departing icon Andres Iniesta was only a substitute for the trip to Riazor as the Blaugrana only needed a point to be crowned champions, but the Galicians were on a four-game unbeaten run and would be relegated with anything other than a win.

The last time these two sides met here with Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea as the referee was in April 2016, when the Catalans thumped their hosts 8-0.

Depor honoured Barca's Copa del Rey triumph with a guard of honour before the game, although there threatened to be a repeat of that result when Philippe Coutinho linked up with Ousmane Dembele and drove home in just the seventh minute.

However, the Branquiazui responded strongly and thought they had equalised through Lucas Perez, although the Arsenal loanee was a yard offside when he mopped up a rebound.

Messi's swerving free kick was then tipped around the post by Ruben Martinez, but the No 10 made no mistake when he latched on to Luis Suarez's square ball and volleyed past the goalkeeper from close range.

Yet Lucas pulled a goal back for Depor when he met a low cross and turned it in, making for an end-to-end second half, with both sides having it all to play for.

That wasn't the case until just after the hour mark, when Borja Valle held the ball up, before pinging a low cross for Emre Colak to net from a couple of yards out.

The Galicians came a whisker away from taking a shock lead, but Ter Stegen got down quickly to save Fabian Schar's towering header on the line.

Barca boldly sacrificed Coutinho and Dembele for the final 20 minutes, but Suarez went on to hit the stanchion behind Ruben's goal and have a one-on-one saved by the goalkeeper.

Nonetheless, the Uruguayan made sure lightning didn't strike thrice, electing to roll the ball to Messi, who tapped in from point-blank range.

Three minutes later, Barca's title was confirmed by Messi's third as he finished off Suarez's layoff to also end Depor's seven-year stay in La Liga.

Deportivo La Coruna 2-4 Barcelona

Lucas 40, Emre 64 (D) Coutinho 7, Messi 38, 82, 85 (B)

Deportivo La Coruna: Ruben; Juanfran, Albentosa, Schar, Luisinho; Borges (Andone 86), Guilherme (Muntari 83), Krohn-Dehli; Emre, Valle (Cartabia 86), Lucas

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic (Iniesta 87), Busquets, Coutinho (Paulinho 74); Messi, Suarez, Dembele (Denis 68)

Referee: De Burgos Bengoetxea

Tags Deportivo
La Liga - Club News