Suarez Barca bow most likely to be ‘El Clasico’
Published:Luis Suarez’s first match could be against Real Madrid after La Liga fixtures were announced for the new season. The Uruguayan forward will be eligible for action following his ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini on October 26, as Barcelona take on their fiercest rivals.
If he does play, Suarez, who was a £75m record club signing for Barca this summer, will have to face a hostile Bernabeu crowd, who will have their own views on the ex-Liverpool man’s mis-demeanours. His new side, who are 11/10 to win La Liga next term, kick off the campaign at home to Elche, while last season’s champions Atletico Madrid, 10/1 to retain the title, face Rayo Vallecano away.
Real, who have spent heavily this summer landing German central midfielder Toni Kroos for £20m and shelling out £63m on Colombian sensation James Rodriguez, are odds-on at 10/11 to win the league, and begin at home against Cordoba.
The biggest La Liga derby clash will be played out on September 14th, as the capital’s two clubs meet at the Bernabeu. Atleti beat their biggest rivals 1-0 in the same fixture last term, though boss Diego Simeone is planning for life without top scorer Diego Costa, having recently sold the Brazilian-born Spain striker to Chelsea. However, having replaced him with Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic, from Bayern Munich, the Argentine can be confident that Costa’s goals will be adequately replaced.
Elsewhere, Valencia will travel from one end of the Spanish coastline to the other, as they prepare to face last season’s Europa League champions Sevilla. Both teams have odds of 250/1 to win La Liga, though Atletico proved that Spain’s top two clubs can be split up with the right combination of good players, hard work and a focused attitude.
As far as Suarez is concerned he will be hoping to repay the side that may just have rescued his career, by helping Barca to beat their biggest counterparts.
