Barcelona clinched their third straight Spanish league title yesterday with a 1-1 draw at Levante.

Seydou Keita headed home Xavi Hernandez's pass to put Barcelona ahead in the 28th minute, only to see Levante striker Felipe Caicedo level the score in the 40th after a mistake by Gerard Pique.

It was Barcelona's fifth league crown in seven seasons and 21st in its 111-year history.

Inspired by the prolific Lionel Messi, Barcelona confirmed their dominance of Spanish football by claiming a third straight league title — and maybe more significantly, condemned a revitalized Real Madrid to the runners-up spot once again.

With two games remaining, Messi has scored 31 league goals, helping Barcelona to their fifth win in seven seasons and 21st in the club's 111-year-old history. The title was sealed with Wednesday's 1-1 draw at Levante.

But this crown is more than ever about one thing: leaving Real Madrid in second. Barca's bitter rivals will finish runners-up for the third year in a row in a season featuring an unprecedented five "clasico" derbies that also saw Barcelona knock Madrid out of the Champions League to reach the final at Wembley.

Midfielder Xavi Hernandez acknowledged that winning the 2011 title was "very tough."