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La Liga fixtures: Luis Suarez set to return against Real Madrid as Atletico Madrid start their title defence away to Rayo Vallecano

Former Liverpool star set for baptism of fire in La Liga

Samuel Stevens
Thursday 24 July 2014 15:32 BST
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Luis Suarez looks towards the crowd during the 2-1 victory over England
Luis Suarez looks towards the crowd during the 2-1 victory over England (Getty Images)

In a quirk of fate so improbable that it was simply bound to happen, Luis Suarez's debut for Barcelona after a four-month suspension looks set to be against his new club's oldest foes and La Liga rivals Real Madrid.

After the LFP announced the Spanish fixtures this morning, eagle-eyed fans soon fathomed that the combustible Uruguayan's return to football coincides with the first El Clasico of the season on 26th October.

Suarez was reprimanded harshly by Fifa after appearing to bite Italian Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup in Brazil before completing a £75m move from Liverpool earlier this month.

After Atletico Madrid's stunning surge to the La Liga crown last season, added importance has since been piled onto an already huge fixture.

The signing of Suarez at the Nou Camp, when coupled with the arrivals of Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez in Madrid, is also an inescapable subplot which looks set to simmer over the coming months.

The opening weekend of the Spanish calender will see reigning champions Atletico visit Rayo Vallecano while Barca and Real start on home soil against Elche and Cordoba respectively.

Should Barca's latest acquisition be fit, and the fixture not moved by television rights holders, Suarez looks set for quite the baptism of fire in Spain. It's definitely a fixture he can get his teeth into.

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