Twitter Reacts to Neymar Missing El Clasico After 3-Game Barcelona Ban

Barcelona were dealt a brutal blow on Tuesday after it was confirmed Neymar has been given a three-game ban and will miss the upcoming El Clasico with Real Madrid as a result.

MailOnline relayed the news:

The Brazilian was handed the ban following his red card in Barca's 2-0 La Liga defeat at Malaga on Saturday which saw the Camp Nou giants slip three points behind leaders Real in the title race.

He received an automatic one-match ban as a result of the sending-off but has been slapped with an extended suspension due to his sarcastic applause of the referee as he left the pitch, per the Independent's Ben Burrows and Luke Brown.

Neymar will miss games against Real Sociedad and Osasuna, as well as the crucial Clasico:

Squawka noted just how big a blow the 25-year-old's absence could be for Luis Enrique's side:

Spanish football writer Guillem Balague believed the ban was granted:

Meanwhile, the Guardian's Sid Lowe questioned whether Neymar's reaction had been blown out of proportion:

Either way, it is advantage Real ahead of potentially their biggest game of the season against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 23.

Real already have a game in hand over their fierce rivals and a three-point advantage in the league, and the fact that one of Barca's key front three will be missing for El Clasico has only made Los Blancos more likely to win a first title since 2012:

However, Real manager Zinedine Zidane is unlikely to allow any complacency to creep into his side as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and others will still pose a serious threat. 

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