TREBLE-CHASING Barcelona are La Liga champions for the fifth time in seven years after a clinical Lionel Messi strike secured a 1-0 victory at Atletico Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo hit a record-extending 26th La Liga hat-trick for Real Madrid in their 4-1 victory away to Espanyol, but Barca cannot be caught now with a four-point lead and only one game remaining.

Messi linked up with Pedro and then slotted home from inside the penalty area with 65 minutes gone.

It had been a cagey game, but the talent of the Argentine shone through again to break the deadlock and help Luis Enrique to his first piece of silverware as Barca coach.

The Catalan side have dominated La Liga in recent years and remain on course to repeat their trophy Treble of 2009.

They are through to the Champions League final on June 6 to face Juventus and will play Athletic Bilbao in the King's Cup showpiece on May 30.

"Last year was tough for us and we were not good enough to be champions, but this year we are doing well," midfielder Sergio Busquets said. "This is the first trophy for us and we are going to celebrate it as it is the most difficult tournament because we face all the teams. It is the most important although the Champions League is the most prestigious."

Meanwhile, Ronaldo showed his typical competitiveness as he lifted Real to victory in the second half against Espanyol despite the title escaping their grasp.

The Portuguese now has two more hat-tricks overall in the league than Messi and he also leads this season's scoring charts with 45 La Liga goals, four more than the Argentine.