(CNN) Barcelona successfully defended its Spanish La Liga crown after beating Levante 1-0 Saturday, courtesy of the magical Lionel Messi.

The Argentine came off the bench at halftime to send his side on its way to a pivotal 3 points, much to the delight of the home support.

The win moved the Catalan club 9 points clear of Atletico Madrid in second place with three games left to play -- but a superior head-to-head record hands them an unassailable lead.

It's the fourth title Barcelona has won in the past five years and it kept alive hopes of a prestigious treble this season.

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