Barca lifts trophy for Tito and Abi

Barcelona beat Valladolid 2-1 Sunday night before lifting the La Liga trophy for the 22nd time in front of their fans at a sodden Nou Camp.

The ground was just over half full, the lowest attendance of the season, but it could not dampen the celebrations of the Barca squad, who have dominated in the league this campaign.

With Lionel Messi sitting out the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, it was left to Pedro Rodriguez to put Barca ahead in the first half.

An own goal from Marc Valiente doubled the advantage before the visitors hit back with a Victor Perez penalty in the 89th minute.

At the presentation, club captain Carles Puyol left it to manager Tito Vilanova and fellow defender Eric Abidal, who have both been absent as they battled cancer this season, to lift the trophy.

"It's been a difficult year, but the most important thing is that Abidal and Tito are with us," he told the club's official website.

"I want to thank you all for your confidence and support in the good and bad moments," Vilanova told the supporters.

If the Catalan giants win their remaining two matches, they will equal the 100 points record total of arch rivals Real Madrid.

Elsewhere Sunday, FC Porto sealed their 27th Portuguese league title after beating Pacos de Ferreira 2-0.

Barcelona beat Valladolid 2-1 Sunday night before lifting the La Liga trophy for the 22nd time in front of their fans at a sodden Nou Camp.

The ground was just over half full, the lowest attendance of the season, but it could not dampen the celebrations of the Barca squad, who have dominated in the league this campaign.

With Lionel Messi sitting out the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, it was left to Pedro Rodriguez to put Barca ahead in the first half.

An own goal from Marc Valiente doubled the advantage before the visitors hit back with a Victor Perez penalty in the 89th minute.

At the presentation, club captain Carles Puyol left it to manager Tito Vilanova and fellow defender Eric Abidal, who have both been absent as they battled cancer this season, to lift the trophy.

"It's been a difficult year, but the most important thing is that Abidal and Tito are with us," he told the club's official website.

"I want to thank you all for your confidence and support in the good and bad moments," Vilanova told the supporters.

If the Catalan giants win their remaining two matches, they will equal the 100 points record total of arch rivals Real Madrid.

Elsewhere Sunday, FC Porto sealed their 27th Portuguese league title after beating Pacos de Ferreira 2-0.

It was their third championship in a row and they finished a point ahead of bitter rivals Benfica, who beat Moreirense 3-1 in their final league match.

In Italy's Serie A, a late penalty from Mario Balotelli and the winner from Frenchman Phillipe Mexes gave AC Milan a dramatic 2-1 victory at Siena.

The last-gasp win clinched third and the final Champions League spot for Milan, who had fallen behind to a 25th minute goal from Claudio Terzi.

It meant Fiorentina's 5-1 thrashing of Pescara, with Adem Ljajic scoring a hat-trick, proved academic as the Florence side finished fourth, two points adrift of Milan.


/CNN/