Real Madrid clinched their 29th league title on Sunday as two goals from Ronaldo and a thunderous Roberto Carlos free kick earned them a 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

On a nerve-jangling final night of a long Spanish league season, Real Madrid's victory kept them two points clear of Real Sociedad, who had to settle for second spot despite a 3-0 win at home to Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid took the lead with a close-range Ronaldo finish in the ninth minute only for Bilbao to equalise after 36 minutes with a Bittor Alkiza strike.

A Roberto Carlos special restored the Real Madrid lead in first-half injury time, though, and a second Ronaldo strike after 61 minutes made certain of the title.

Deportivo Coruna and Celta Vigo were already assured of finishing third and fourth and taking the remaining Champions League places, while last season's champions Valencia finished fifth to go through to the UEFA Cup.

In the only other outstanding issue of the league season, Barcelona pipped Athletic Bilbao to a UEFA Cup place with a 2-0 victory at home to Celta that took them up to sixth.

Real Madrid went top of the table in the penultimate game of the season when they swept to a 4-0 victory over neighbours Atletico, while Sociedad slipped to a 3-2 defeat at Champions League-bound Celta Vigo.

In a repetition of the finale to the 1979-80 season, Real went into their last match needing a victory over Athletic Bilbao to clinch the title ahead of Sociedad.

History duly repeated itself as they beat Bilbao at the Bernabeu, meaning Sociedad's win was not quite good enough to give them what would have been a third league title.

Real Madrid's victory has secured yet another triumph for unassuming coach Vicente del Bosque, who has now guided the team to two league titles and two European Cups since he took charge at the club in November 1999.