Late Fabregas goal moves Barca closer to title

REUTERS: Midfielder Cesc Fabregas moved Barcelona a step closer to the La Liga title with a late strike in a laboured 1-0 victory at home to mid-table Levante on Saturday.

The 84th-minute goal secured a win that took Barca to 84 points with six games left, 13 clear of champions Real Madrid who earlier beat Real Betis 3-1 with a Mesut Ozil double.

A victory away to Athletic Bilbao next Saturday, and a Real defeat at city rivals Atletico Madrid would enable Barca to be crowned champions for a fourth time in five years.

In the late game, Valencia’s push for a top-four finish was boosted with a 5-1 thrashing of Malaga at home when they scored four times in six first-half minutes.

Valencia climbed to fifth with 53 points, pushing Malaga down to sixth on 50, and they are one point behind fourth-placed Real Sociedad, who visit Osasuna on Sunday.

Betis are seventh with 48 points.

The top two fielded weakened sides with next week’s Champions League semi-finals in mind.

Barca visit Bayern Munich for their first leg on Tuesday, and Real travel to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.