Real Madrid wins it for the 30th time

Real Madrid has done it for the 30th time, but this time the victory came after four long years, on Beckham’s last European venture. At a packed Bernabeu stadium Real Madrid won the La Liga trophy against a determined Real Mallorca side.

With three teams -- Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla -- contending for the trophy on the final day, all the matches were scheduled to be played simultaneously. All attention was focused on Real Madrid's match. All Real had to do was simply to win the match at it's own stadium and get the crown, irrespective of the others' results.

Victory was never going to come easy for Madrid. Real Mallorca silenced the noisy Bernabeu stadium at the 17th minute when Fernando Varela fired home to give the visitors a surprise lead. At half time it's archrival and bitter contender for the trophy, Barcelona, was leading relegated Gimnastic 3-0, after conceding goals from Puyol, Messi and Ronaldinho. Sevilla on the other hand was still tied in its match with Villarreal 0-0.

Real Madrid's coach Fabio Capello made a gamble, in the second half at the 66th minute by replacing Beckham, with former Arsenal player Reyes. It paid off almost immediately as he re-awakened a dead Bernabeu stadium by hitting an equalizer for Real Madrid in just two minutes.
The home crowd went wild with joy at the 80th minute when midfielder Mahamadou Diarra decisively headed home to take Madrid in front. That joy increased when man of the match Reyes sealed the victory just three minutes later with a superb strike -- with only seven minutes left.

At 90 minutes, both Real Madrid and Barcelona, having won their matches, ended the league on 76 points. But it was Real Madrid that carried the trophy based on the head-to-head rule.

Madrid ended its longest major trophy drought in 53 years with wild celebrations and a lap of honor before throwing coach Fabio Capello into the air as the Italian won his second title as coach at Madrid. The other was in 1997.

The team traveled to the Plaza de Cibeles in the city center as is customary in an open-top bus to celebrate with thousands of cheering fans. The players waived flags and drank champagne while fireworks splashed across the sky.