Barcelona boss Luis Enrique believes Uruguayan star Luis Suarez justified his transfer fee by scoring a superb Clasico-winning goal against Real Madrid.
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The Catalan giants forked out a club record €80 million (Dh321m) to sign the controversial frontman from Liverpool in the summer, and after a slow start to his Nou Camp career he has blossomed in recent weeks, scoring seven goals in his last seven appearances.
Sunday’s matchwinner was a wonderful piece of opportunism as Suarez ran on to a long high pass from Dani Alves and controlled it beautifully on the edge of the penalty area before steering a low shot past the advancing Iker Casillas and into the bottom left corner.
Enrique said: “That is why we paid what we did for Suarez. I’m glad that we have a player who can be decisive. We have been happy with him ever since he arrived for his commitment and the qualities he gives to the team.”
In addition to his memorable goal, Suarez delivered a man of the match performance with a highly effective all-round display, with his energy and movement causing problems all night for Madrid’s centre back pairing of Sergio Ramos and Pepe, who was eventually substituted with nearly 20 minutes still remaining.
Suarez also played a role in Barca’s first goal, turning sharply away from Pepe to win a free-kick which Lionel Messi arrowed on to the head of defender Jeremy Mathieu, who guided it past Iker Casillas.
Predictably, the game featured a series of physical confrontations between Suarez and Pepe, two notoriously competitive performers who were both booked for challenges on each other.
And Suarez’s all-action performance also saw him create a golden chance for Neymar shortly before Madrid’s equaliser, sending over a cross-shot which the Brazilian winger could only direct straight at Casillas.
Enrique added: “He is not just an old-fashioned striker. He is a versatile forward who knows how to relate to his team-mates, who can shoot, who is physically tough and who has the right kind of character for the way we play.”
Understandably, Suarez himself was also delighted to have netted the winner, joining stars from the club’s history such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho, Romario, Gary Lineker and Diego Maradona by scoring on his first Clasico at the Nou Camp.
Suarez has now registered 14 goals in 29 appearances for his new team, including a Champions League brace against Manchester City which ultimately sent them into the quarter-finals, but he rates Sunday’s strike as his most memorable moment in a Barca shirt.
“Until now it’s the most important goal I’ve scored – it has a huge meaning because of who it came against,” he said. “The squad is very happy. We knew it was an important game to stay top of the league.”
Suarez also explained the tactical intentions behind his performance, which certainly succeeded in its aims of unsettling Ramos and Pepe.
“We played a very direct game and I tried to exploit the space between the defenders, and to be as fast as possible to not give their centre backs any time,” he said. “Luckily it went well.”
Strong sentence
Meanwhile, Spanish prosecutors are requesting a prison sentence of two years and three months for Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and seven for his predecessor, Sandro Rosell, over the so-called Neymar affair, judicial sources claimed yesterday.
The Madrid court is also calling for a fine of 22.2 million Euro (Dh89.2m) against the club over the 2013 transfer deal which has been the subject of an anti-corruption probe.
The two men and the club are charged with tax fraud and Rosell is also accused of accounting irregularities over his time in charge. Following months of investigation, judge Pablo Ruz must now consider whether the case should go to trial.