Revealed: The MSN are suffering from yellow (card) fever

Revealed: The MSN are suffering from yellow (card) fever

Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez have 24 bookings between them, more than any other trident in Europe

Between Messi and Neymar, the pair only committed three fouls against Atletico Madrid, two by the Brazilian and one by the Argentine, but both ended up booked at the Calderon. Neymar will now miss the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. 

Beyond the cards, the sensation is that the MSN have to resign themselves to being fouled numerous times in each game and their opponents get away with murder, while they are repeatedly punished.

Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez have 24 bookings between them, more than any other trident in Europe. 

Ney has 11 yellows, three more than Suarez with eight and then Messi has five. On occasion the former two have been booked for protesting about fouls committed on them. 

Messi meanwhile has been punished a lot harshly, in situations like at the Mestalla where he was suspected of wasting time after his celebration for scoring in the last minute.

Notably only three of the 24 yellow cards were earned in the Champions League.

 

MADRID AND ELSEWHERE

Meanwhile the BBC have been booked just six times, although injury means it’s not that accurate a figure - but even including Lucas Vazquez (2), Morata (4), Asensio (1) and James Rodriguez (1), the total is 14, little over half of what Barcelona’s forwards have suffered.

Between Correa, Griezmann, Carrasco, Torres and Gameiro there have been just 10 yellows. 

Even Diego Costa only has five yellow cards from the 24 games he has played.