Luis Suarez: Barcelona striker should have been sent off for kick and slap during Atletico Madrid win

Suarez scored twice in the first leg win

Luis Suarez celebrates his second goal against Atletico Madrid (Getty)

Luis Suarez was again the centre of controversy as Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

The former Liverpool striker scored both goals for the home side, taking his tally for the season to 45, who battled back from a goal down against the 10 men of Atletico; Fernando Torres had opened the scoring before being sent off for two careless yellow cards in the first half.

However, despite his goalscoring heroics Suarez was extremely lucky to still be on the pitch, with two incidents that seemed deserving of a red card going virtually unpunished. In the first half the clearly frustrated striker kicked out at Atletico right-back Juanfran, who probably helped the Uruguayan by not reacting, while he then aimed a slap at the face of former Chelsea defender Filipe Luis.

Suarez was booked for the incident but it's not clear why he was not sent off for violent conduct.

Luis suggested after the game that Barcelona players were given added protection by referees.

"They protect Barca," Luis. "There is a worry that they’re going to get knocked out. I don’t know what [a Barcelona player] has to do to get sent off."

Atletico head coach Simeone added: "I can’t say what I want... I need to think about what I’m saying so I don’t say anything I shouldn’t."

Speaking on BT Sport after the match, former England internationals Ian Wright, Rio Fedrinand and Michael Owen all agreed Suarez should have been sent off.

Host Gary Lineker asked whether Suarez should have still been on the pitch to score twice.

Ian Wright: "No he shouldn't."

Rio Ferdiand: "Not a chance. You can see the frustration he hadn't really had a kick in the game apart from this one here. But that's the Suarez we've seen many times in the past. We all know he's a fantastic player but when you're doing stuff like that you've got to be punished.

"I don't think it's as bad as the first one, that one. But he plays on the edge, this is the type of man he is, the type of person he is and I think if you took that out of him you're not getting the same guy, the same player."

Michael Owen: "You see so many players like that, you look at the great centre forwards, obviously Wayne Rooney used to play right on the edge as well. [Diego] Costa at Chelsea is always on the edge.

"To be a centre forward and to be that hungry for goals, if you don't kick a kick for half hour you just get so mad. And you can see him, he's always teetering on the edge."