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The suspension is now over, and the countdown to Luis Suarez's Barcelona debut against Real Madrid in tomorrow evening's El Clasico at the Bernabeu is in full swing.
The Barcelona strike pair Neymar and Lionel Messi both spoke of their delight that they will be able to finally link up with the controversial Uruguayan, whose four-month ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup has ended
"We are all really looking forward to the arrival of Luis," the mercurial Messi said. "He will bring a lot of strength to the team. He is a forward who scores a lot of goals. I am happy as he has spent a lot of time without getting onto the pitch."
Neymar, meanwhile, the Brazilian striker, added last week: "Messi is the best in the world and Luis Suarez is a top player. "I think we're going to do great things together for this club."
Show all 9 1 /9El Clasico: Memorable moments and why Real Madrid vs Barcelona is so special El Clasico: Memorable moments and why Real Madrid vs Barcelona is so special RAMOS DROPS THE CUP When Real Madrid beat Barcelona 1-0 in the Copa del Rey final in the 2010/11 season, it was the first time they had beaten their hated rivals since 2008. Naturally, the players went wild in celebration. None more than Sergio Ramos, who dropped the trophy from the team's open top bus during a victory parade through Madrid's city centre.
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El Clasico: Memorable moments and why Real Madrid vs Barcelona is so special MESSI V RONALDO This fixture has been billed as the battle between the two best players in the world since Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid in 2009. It hasn't failed to deliver either. For a long time Messi was considered marginally the better of the two, but at the start of 2014, Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or, ending Messi's four year run of successes.
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El Clasico: Memorable moments and why Real Madrid vs Barcelona is so special CLASSIC MATCH: 1936 Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona The two teams have long represented the struggle between nationalists and republicans that led to the Spanish civil war, and as fate would have it, the last game before war broke out was between Real Madrid and Barcelona, in the final of the Copa del Rey. The game has gone down in Spanish folklore for the amazing save that Spanish goalkeeping legend Ricardo Zamora (pictured) made in the last minute of the game to prevent Barcelona from equalising.
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El Clasico: Memorable moments and why Real Madrid vs Barcelona is so special POLITICAL DIVISIONS The rivalry goes beyond what happens on the pitch. Barcelona see themselves as representing the region of Catalonia, which seeks independence from Spain. Real Madrid, meanwhile, are seen as representing Spanish nationalism, centralisation and loyalty to the King. A Barcelona win is often reported by the press as Catalonia getting one over the establishment, while a Real Madrid victory is seen as the capital asserting its authority.
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El Clasico: Memorable moments and why Real Madrid vs Barcelona is so special MUTUAL APPRECIATION While El Clasico is rightly described as one of the fiercest rivalries in world football, there have been times when fans have shown great praise for the opposing team. Andres Iniesta received a surprise standing ovation from the Bernabéu when he was substituted after a superb performance. Before that, Ronaldinho was applauded by Madrid fans in 2005 when he scored two brilliant goals in a 3-0 win for Barcelona, while the late Lawrie Cunningham received a similar amount of praise from the Nou Camp after helping Real Madrid to a 2-0 win over Barcelona in 1980. Even Cristiano Ronaldo, in more recent years, has been acknowledged by Barcelona fans.
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El Clasico: Memorable moments and why Real Madrid vs Barcelona is so special A NATIONWIDE RIVALRY The ideological and political clash that exists between the two sides has the power to not only divide the supporters of these two clubs but Spain as a whole. Many fans of other La Liga clubs have a clear preference for Madrid or Barcelona based on their ideological leanings and will watch El Clasico with as much interest as when they watch their own team.
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El Clasico: Memorable moments and why Real Madrid vs Barcelona is so special THE TWO GIANTS OF SPAIN Real Madrid and Barcelona are far and away the most successful and best supported teams in Spain. Real Madrid have won 32 league titles, while Barcelona have 22. Only in more recent years has the country's third most successful club, Atlético Madrid, challenged their authority. Barcelona and Real are also the only two Spanish teams to have won the Europe's biggest prize, with a total of 14 European Cups between them.
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El Clasico: Memorable moments and why Real Madrid vs Barcelona is so special PLAYERS WHO CROSSED THE DIVIDE The rivalry has become more intense due to star players making controversial moves from Barcelona to the Spanish capital. The most famous cases are Luis Figo (pictured), who had a pig's head thrown at him on his return to the Nou Camp in a Madrid shirt, and Michael Laudrup, who joined Real Madrid from Barcelona in 1994 and immediately inspired his new club to a league title, ending four years of Barcelona domination. Other players who have played for both teams include Ronaldo, Luis Enrique, Samuel Eto'o, Bernd Schuster and Javier Saviola.
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El Clasico: Memorable moments and why Real Madrid vs Barcelona is so special VIOLENT SCENES Tensions often reach boiling point when these two clubs meet. In a match in 1990 Hristo Stoichkov earned himself a two month ban when he stamped on the ankle of referee Ildefonso Urizar Azpitarte, who had just sent off manager Johan Cruyff for dissent. After a recent Supercopa match at the Camp Nou, which Barcelona won 3-2, a scuffle broke out between the two teams' coaching stuff, ending with José Mourinho poking Barcelona's assistant manager Tito Villanova in the eye.
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The match kicks off in the Spanish capital on Saturday at 5pm.
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