A fresh insight into the impending absence of Barcelona defender Dani Alves for the club’s upcoming stretch of fixtures has been provided on Friday.
Alves was of course part of the Blaugrana starting XI which welcomed Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid to the Camp Nou for a crunch La Liga showdown last weekend.
And the Brazilian certainly enjoyed a night to remember, teeing up Jordi Alba’s stunning opener, before getting in on the act himself with a fine finish early in the 2nd-half:
Dani Alves hammers in a 4th for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid! ?
It’s just like old times at Camp Nou today ?? pic.twitter.com/hUOSHyIwNZ
— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) February 6, 2022
Alves’ dream Camp Nou return, however, soon took a turn for the worse.
This came as the 38-year-old lost his head twenty minutes from time, sent for an early bath by referee Jesus Gil on the back of a frankly ridiculous challenge on Atletico’s Yannick Carrasco:
Dani Alves’ fairytale day turns into a nightmare! ?
He’s sent off for a nasty challenge on Carrasco ? pic.twitter.com/8vWLd7BJr0
— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) February 6, 2022
Alves, in turn, was forced to face up to a domestic ban.
The initial sanction decided on by the powers-that-be in the Spanish top-flight came in the form of a two-game absence, owing to the reckless nature of his challenge.
Barca, for their part, appealed such a sentence, pleading with the La Liga hierarchy to reduce Alves’ suspension to just a solitary game.
But, as confirmed by Mundo Deportivo on Friday afternoon, such efforts have come up short, with the Blaugrana’s veteran stopper, as a result, set to sit out the club’s upcoming meetings with both Espanyol and Valencia.
❌ Desestimado el recurso por Alves: Se perderá dos partidos https://t.co/ZfkIcU9wdP
— Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo) February 11, 2022
Derbi Barceloni
As alluded to above, an altogether high-profile fixture awaits Xavi and Barca this coming weekend.
The Catalans are set to make the trip to the RCDE Stadium, for a La Liga derby showdown with arch rivals Espanyol.
The clash marks a crucial one for Sunday’s visitors amid their ongoing pursuit of a top-4 berth in the Spanish top-flight, though confidence will no doubt be high in the camp on the back of an impressive 4-2 downing of champions Atletico last time out.
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