How many times Real Madrid won La Liga? Club history and how they did it in 2021-22

It was never really in doubt, but with a 4-0 win at home against Espanyol on Saturday, Real Madrid officially clinched the 2021-22 La Liga season title, the 35th in club history.

The day before the match, manager Carlo Ancelotti had expressed his desire to close it out: "We're on match point and when the best tennis players get there, they make sure they win it." With the win over Espanyol, Madrid served an ace to clinch the crown.

Now sitting 17 points above second-placed Sevilla and 18 above Barcelona, there are not enough points available for any of the pursuers to catch Los Blancos at this point..

The most decorated team in Spanish top-flight history, Real Madrid adds yet another trophy to its bulging case, and it is still alive in the semifinals of the Champions League and hoping for more.

MORE: Real Madrid beat Espanyol for 35th La Liga title

How Real Madrid won La Liga 2021-22

The league title push this season was obviously a team effort, but it starts and ends with Karim Benzema's sensational form.

The French talisman has spent much of his career at the Bernabeu in Cristiano Ronaldo's shadow, but this season he has finally broken out and pushed for his own stardom.

Benzema began the season with nine goals in his team's first eight La Liga matches, including a hat trick against Celta Vigo, and he has continued to lead the charge. He currently sits on 26 goals from 30 league matches so far this championship term.

Also transforming into a world-class player this season has been Vinicius Jr., who has become one of the first names on the Real Madrid team sheet. The Brazilian winger has become both a creative and goalscoring force and developed a critical partnership with Benzema up front.

Luka Modric has returned to his dominant midfield presence even at 36 years old, at a time when it appeared for a while that he had fallen off the pace.

And while Real Madrid's defence hasn't been the most stout in Europe, Eder Militao has emerged as a standout choice at centre-back.

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Real Madrid 2021-22 statistical leaders

Real Madrid key 2021-22 league results

Last time Real Madrid won the La Liga title

Madrid failed to clinch the league crown last season as Atletico Madrid triumphed by two points, but two seasons ago in 2019-20, Real Madrid was also top of the table.

Toni Kroos had a world-class campaign and Karim Benzema finished second to Lionel Messi on the goalscoring charts to help Madrid to the crown. Sergio Ramos had a prolific campaign as well, leading Madrid to the best defensive record in the league and also scoring 11 times.

While the club also won the Supercopa de Espana in 2019-20, the rest of the season was a disappointment, eliminated in the Champions League Round of 16 by Borussia Dortmund and sent crashing out of the Copa del Rey in the quarterfinals by Real Sociedad.

Real Madrid La Liga title history

Real Madrid have now won 35 league titles in the club's illustrious history, with Barcelona the next closest on 26.

Los Blancos have been less successful recently, with the challenging top echelon in La Liga providing the traditional Spanish powerhouse with stiff competition.

This season's eventual crown will mark just their fourth league title in the last 14 years since winning the 2007-08 crown, with Barcelona, by contrast, winning eight in that same span.

Going back to 1995, when the Spanish top flight was expanded to 22 teams and introduced three points for a win, this will mark Real's ninth La Liga title in 27 years.

Should they finish with close to the margin at the top of the table they have established currently, it would mark the biggest title-winning gap in that span. The previous best margin of victory in Real's history is 12 points, which they have achieved twice, first in 1960-61 and again in 1974-75.

Real Madrid league titles since 1995

La Liga title winners all-time by club