With Messi at his best, Barcelona had no title rival

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Without Cristiano Ronaldo around to at least keep it interesting, a spectacular Lionel Messi had no rival to stop him from helping Barcelona successfully defend its Spanish league title.
Barcelona clinched the crown with three rounds left on Saturday, after Messi scored to beat Levante 1-0 at Camp Nou.
But this was coming for a long time. Barcelona lost only two games in 35 rounds, and opened up a significant lead early in the season.
It brushed off the only timid a