2008-05-04 23:20:04 -
MADRID, Spain (AP) - Real Madrid won its record 31st Spanish league title Sunday by getting late goals from Arjen Robben and substitute Gonzalo Higuain in a 2-1 win over Osasuna.
Higuain volleyed home a shot from the right in the 89th minute, two minutes after Robben headed in a cross from Fernando Gago from
the left to equalize.
Francisco Punal scored from the penalty spot in the 83rd to put the hosts in the lead after Madrid was reduced to 10 in the 46th following Fabio Cannavaro's ejection.
The defending champions now has 78 points _ 10 more than second-place Villarreal _ and can't be catched with three games remaining.
Punal took the penalty after Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze handled inside the area as he leapt to challenge a cross. Punal caught goalkeeper Iker Casillas going the wrong way with his shot into the bottom left of goal.
Madrid threatened early but Javier Saviola was unable to poke Robben's short pass into the net with defender Miguel Flano appearing to handle the deflected ball.
Oasuna had several free kicks from outside Madrid's area but couldn't create a decent scoring chance.
Cannavarro was sent off barely 20 seconds into the second half after picking up a second yellow card.
Madrid needed to win the match to earn its title because Villarreal defeated Getafe 2-0 earlier Sunday. Nihat Kahveci scored both goals.
Getafe was in control at Villarreal until the 37th minute, when Giuseppe Rossi found Nihat with a pass across the goal for an easy score.
Robert Pires found the Turkey striker alone again on the right side in the 44th and he shot high to beat goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri.
Thierry Henry and Bojan Krkic scored two goals each as third-ranked FC Barcelona snapped a five-game winless streak with a 6-0 rout of Valencia.
Lionel Messi scored the first goal at the Camp Nou with a penalty in the sixth and Xavi Hernandez made it 2-0 two minutes later.
Henry worked a delayed give-and-go with Samuel Eto'o in the 14th before the Frenchman slid for a left-footed shot inside the far post.
Henry, who's curler from the left side was denied by Hildebrand in the 54th, scored from the same spot four minutes later.
Hildebrand denied Messi in the 70th but couldn't stop Krkic in the 73rd after the teenage striker was perfectly played through by Deco. Substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen found Krkic in the 79th for the 10th goal of his rookie season.
Barcelona lost to Manchester United in the Champions League semifinals last week to endure a second straight season without a trophy. The 2005-06 league champions have 64 points while Valencia stayed in the thick of the relegation race with 42.
Also Sunday, it was: Sevilla 2, Valladolid 0; Racing Santander 3, Murcia 2; Athletic Bilbao 1, Mallorca 2; Almeria 1, Real Betis 1; and Levante 1, Espanyol 1.
Racing rallied from a two-goal deficit to stay two points behind fourth-place Atletico Madrid, which beat Recreativo Huelva 3-0 Saturday.
Pedro Munitis scored two goals _ including the winner in the 56th _ and Jorge Lopez got the other as Racing relegated Murcia to the second division. Daniel Aquino and Ivan Alonso scored for Murcia.
Sevilla also kept pace in the chase for fourth and the final Champions League qualifying place thanks to Renato's two goals. Sevilla plays Racing on Wednesday.
Daniel Guiza scored both of Mallorca's goals to became the league's leading scorer with 24. Athletic got its goal from Fernando Llorente's header in the ninth.
Zaragoza moved out of the relegation zone Saturday with a 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna. Zaragoza has 41 points, one better than Recreativo and Osasuna.
