Sent-off Suarez hoping for final reprieve
LUIS Suarez is hoping an appeal will save him from missing the Copa del Rey final after being sent off for Barcelona in a bad-tempered semifinal, second l eg against Atl et i co Madrid.
Suarez scored Barcelona’s goal as three players were dismissed in a 1-1 draw on Tuesday that secured Barca’s place in a fourth straight final 3-2 on aggregate.
However, the Uruguayan – sent off for the first time in three years at Barca (pictured, AFP right) – claimed a stray elbow on Koke as the game entered stoppage time wasn’t even a foul.
“It makes me laugh because it was like [t he referee] wanted to do it,” Suarez told Gol Telev ision. We need to see if we can appeal the second yellow because it isn’t even a foul, but we already know how these things go.
"That is why I am so angry because it was absolutely nothing. The first yellow was also for the first foul I committed in the game, but you could see it coming.”
However, Barca boss Luis Enrique isn’t holding out too much hope of having Suarez available for May’s final against either Alaves or Celta Vigo.
“You have to appeal all you think is unjust, but when you look at the precedents, you see what normally happens with appeals,” Enrique said.
“Apart from the anger that the players who will miss the final feel, the important thing is that Barca have won. There are now only two teams that can win the Cup and we are one of them.”
Barca have still to lose a Copa del Rey tie against anyone other than Real Madrid since 2010.
'Heads held high'
However, they were given a mighty scare by an Atletico side that enjoyed the better of the chances on the night.
Yannick Carrasco forced Jasper Cillessen into a fine save after just six minutes before Suarez looked to have killed off the tie just three minutes before half-time.
However, most of the action came in the second-half as Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto and Carrasco were both shown second yellow cards. Atletico then had a goal by Antoine Griezmann wrongly ruled out and saw Kevin Gameiro’s penalty fly over the bar before the latter levelled on the night seven minutes from time. “O n c e a g a i n despite the circumstances they faced, the team put t h e i r b o d y, soul and heart into a passionate tie as any Atletico Madrid player has to,” said Los Rojiblancos manager Diego Simeone. “We are out of the competi- tion but have our heads held high and the strength that we have three fantastic months [ahead].
“Hopefully we can maintain what we showed against them in the second half the otherothe day and during the 90 minutesminute today.”
Atletico have endured a dis disappointing season so far asa they languish well off the pacepac of Barca and Real Madrid i in fourth in La Liga.
However, Simeone is hopin hoping their display will spark a returnretur to the form that took them tot the Champions League finalfina last season.
“When you lose in this manman ner, something special remainsremain with the team, above all wit with important competitions suchsuc as the fight we have in La Lig Liga and the Champions League tot come,” he said.