Players to watch in Saturday’s anticipated El Clasico matchup

While his fellow teammates Lionel Messi and Neymar gets most of the praised in the media, Luis Suarez quietly goes about his business on the pitch. The Uruguay striker collected his second Golden Shoe Award as the top scorer in European football leagues with 40 goals, he arrived from Liverpool in 2014.

Suarez has demonstrated year in, year out that he’s the best No 9 in the world, despite stiff competitions from Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Has Luis Suarez been the best player in 2016? His former boss Brendan Rodgers certainly thinks so.

“The last year, I don’t think there’s been any player better than Luis Suarez,” Rodgers revealed to Sky Sports. “In terms of that award, I think he would be very deserving of it in terms of how he’s played, what he’s given the team, how he’s carried the team, and the level that he’s played at consistently.

“Lionel Messi is a player that I’ve admired since I saw him as a young player, a teenager. I’ve seen him come into the team at 16,17, and the last ten years, he’s been remarkable.

Though Suarez probably won’t get The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2016 award, he deserves the recognition after he became the first La Liga player history to score four goals in back-to-back games in February. The 29-year-old then secured Barca the league title with his hat trick to beat Granada on the final day.

Look for Suarez to add onto his 8 Clasico goals as Barcelona looks to hand Real their first defeat in the last 32 games of all competitions.