Real Madrid captures La Liga crown on final day, ending Barcelona's reign

In the end, Real Madrid's first La Liga title in five years arrived without the late dramatics that defined its season.

Instead, it was over in the second minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo bagged an early goal on the breakaway and Karim Benzema added another in the second half to secure a 2-0 win over Malaga on Sunday. More importantly, the victory clinched Los Blancos' first league honour since 2012.

Madrid could have drawn and still lifted the trophy, but manager Zinedine Zidane said prior to the match his players would fire "on all cylinders, give 100 percent, and play to win it, as ever."

How right he was.

Barcelona's 4-2 comeback win over Eibar had no bearing on the standings, as Madrid finished the season with 93 points to the Catalan's 90.

Zidane's men led the way for the majority of the campaign, and even when they fell behind, they could take comfort in the knowledge that they still had a game in hand.

Madrid only made up that match on Wednesday - a 4-1 success at Celta Vigo - setting itself up for celebrations in Malaga.

The losses of Gareth Bale and Dani Carvajal to injury had little impact on Madrid's mission, with the Champions League final on June 3 a realistic date for their return.

A 40-match unbeaten run in all competitions was the driving force behind Zidane's side, which also managed to find the net in all 38 league matches for the first time in club history.

But more than a few brushes with fate shaped this title race. With a league-leading 23 goals scored after the 80th minute, Madrid earned 17 crucial points at the death.

By Sunday, all the hard work was done.