Barca hold out hope of Neymar beating ban
Barcelona maintain the slimmest hopes Neymar could play in the Clasico against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu tomorrow morning ( New Zealand time).
After an unsuccessful appeal of the star forward’s three-match ban, Barcelona confirmed yesterday they will take their case to Spain's Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAD).
Neymar was sent off as Barca were beaten at Malaga on April 8 after picking up two yellow cards, earning himself a one-match ban.
His first booking was for obstructing the taking of a free kick by tying his laces, and the second was for a late challenge on Roberto Rosales.
He was later awarded an additional two-game suspension after referee Jesus Gil Manzano included in his post-match report that the Brazilian had “sarcastically applauded” the fourth official as he left the pitch.
The dismissal was Neymar's first in his four seasons with the club, and he became Barca's first player to be dismissed in La Liga since October 2015.
Barca travel to the Spanish capital three points behind league leaders Madrid but could go to the top with a win.
However, a defeat to Zinedine Zidane's side would leave them six points off the pace, having played one game more and with just five matches left to play.
Zidane, however, has worries of his own.
Midfield ace Gareth Bale faces a race against the clock to be fit for the clash, though not everyone in the capital seems overly concerned as Real have thrived despite another injury-ravaged season for the Welshman and world's second most expensive player.
“There has been no Real Madrid fan seen crying over Bale's injury,” said an editorial in Madrid sports daily Marca this week.
“Bale's absence is a solution Real Madrid, not a problem.”
Some of Bale's obvious individual qualities have shone through in his four seasons since moving to Madrid for a then world record fee of just over 100 million.
He scored more headed goals than anyone in Europe last season, still possesses electric pace and a deadly left foot. Indeed, his role in winning two Champions Leagues in the past three seasons was rewarded with a for massive new five-year contract reportedly worth 600,000 a week back in October.
However, the statistics show Madrid have benefited far more when Zidane has balanced his side with less glamorous names to work within a more solid structure.
Bale's injuries have limited him to just 18 of Madrid's 31 La Liga games this season, in which the European champions have won 12, drawn five and lost once at Valencia.
By contrast, Lucas Vazquez, who cost Madrid a meagre 1 million in 2015, has shone in Bale's absence, winning in 22 of his 28 La Liga appearances this season. In 13 games without Bale, Madrid's win percentage jumps from 67 to 85 per cent.
Madrid go into the Clasico well set to deliver their first league title in five seasons and the first of Bale's career.
The massive difference between them and Barca so far this season has been the depth of the Madrid squad.
While Barca boss Luis Enrique has paid for rotating in shock defeats to Alaves, Celta Vigo, Deportivo la Coruna and Malaga, Real's reserves have at times delivered even better results than Zidane's first-choice XI.
The Frenchman made sweeping changes for three of Real's last four away league games at Eibar, Leganes and Sporting Gijon. Despite Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo not being included in the squad, Madrid won all three games.
With Madrid one knockout blow away from ending Barca's domination of La Liga in recent years, Zidane has a big decision to make should Bale prove his fitness ahead of the showdown. — AFP