Real Madrid won its record 31st Spanish league title Sunday thanks to the late heroics of newer additions who led the Spanish champions to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Osasuna.
Substitute Gonzalo Higuain volleyed in the winner in the 89th minute, two minutes after €36 million (US$56 million) signing Arjen Robben headed in the equalizer with 10-men Madrid trailing through Francisco Punal's 83rd-minute penalty.
Though the soccer hasn't followed those plans, the league title did.
"It looked like an American sports film in which you have to fight and suffer and we had a nice ending. We are champions," coach Bernd Schuster said. "With one player less it was the moment where we were better. We deserved to win."
Higuain chested down Sergio Ramos' short pass to volley home from the right after former Chelsea winger Robben headed in a cross from Fernando Gago from the left to equalize.
Madrid was reduced to 10 in the 46th following Fabio Cannavaro's ejection.
The defending champions now have 78 points - 10 more than second-place Villarreal - and can't be caught with three games remaining, making Wednesday's match against bitter rival FC Barcelona meaningless.
An estimated 10,000 Madrid supporters had gathered at the traditional celebration point at Plaza Cibeles in the Spanish capital in anticipation of the Spanish champions' return. Madrid's players were flying straight back from Pamplona to partake.
"The plane will be rocking a lot now, it's going to be a nice party," Schuster said. "But now we want to get back to Madrid to celebrate with our fans."
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 and Xavi Hernandez scored in the first eight minutes for Barcelona's other two.
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.
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