Madrid, May 4 :

FC Barcelona won its second straight Spanish league title and 18th overall on Wednesday, claiming the crown when final challenger Valencia was beaten by Mallorca 2-1.

Barcelona players began celebrating at halftime at Celta Vigo and went on to toast their success with a 1-0 win courtesy of a 55th-minute goal by Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroon striker controlled Mark Van Bommel’s pass and evaded two defenders before scoring his 25th goal of the season.

The results left Barcelona, which has three games left, with an unassailable 11-point lead over Valencia, which has only two matches remaining. Coach Frank Rijkaard’s team has 79 points, while Valencia has 68. Real Madrid has 66.

The league title moved Barcelona closer to repeating its 1992 feat, when it won both the Spanish and European Champions Cup crown.

Barcelona was also the last Spanish team to win consecutive league titles — in 1998 and 1999 with another Dutch coach, Louis van Gaal.

Valencia, needing to win to keep the title race alive, fell behind quickly at Mallorca’s Son Moix stadium when midfielder Juan Arango scored from Victor Casadesus’ pass in the ninth minute.

Although forward Miguel Angel Angulo equalised from David Villa’s pass eight minutes later, Mallorca midfielder Cristiano Doni volleyed Mallorca’s winning goal in the 47th.

Valencia’s defeat ended a five-match winning streak and gave Real Madrid the chance to move into second place.

In another game, Inaki Munoz scored a 16th-minute and Osasuna edged Atletico Madrid 1-0, taking a big stride toward a European Champions League debut next season.

Osasuna, fourth with 65 points, survived the loss of defender Rafael Clavero, who received his second yellow card in the 59th minute. Atletico’s midfielder Ariel Ibagaza was ejected in the final minutes.

Also on Wednesday, it was: Sevilla 3, Getafe 0; Villarreal 2, Malaga 1; Alaves 2, Real Betis 0; Cadiz 2, Real Sociedad 2; Athletic Bilbao 1, Zaragoza 0; and Espanyol 1, Deportivo La Coruna 2.