Valencia centre-back Aymen Abdennour has taken to social media to document the physical toil of a match up with Barcelona striker Luis Suarez.
The Tunisian defender was in action for Gary Neville’s side on Saturday as they held rampant Barca to a 1-1 draw at the Mestalla.
While Abdennour impressed—largely keeping Suarez muted during the contest, beyond the Liverpool man’s opening goal—his endeavours have clearly come at a cost to the stopper’s physical well-being.
Taking to Instagram, Abdennour has presented some damning photos of cuts and bruises received during his 90-minute struggle at the hands of the Uruguay frontman.
The defender, who moved to Valencia this summer after previously representing AS Monaco, sparred with Suarez during the second period, but largely kept the forward at bay, before Santi Mina equalised for the Liga heavyweights.
After the match, Suarez insisted that he hadn’t intended to hurt Abdennour, after being captured stamping on the North African.
“I did not stand on Abdennour’s foot on purpose,” he told journalists after the match, as per Goal. “I turned around, I stepped on him, and that is why I apologised.”
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The result leaves Valencia ninth, five points off the Champions League places, while Barcelona sit atop La Liga, two points head of Valencia.