Luis Suarez banned 2 games for post-match altercation; Barcelona will appeal

Barcelona star Luis Suarez has been handed a two-game suspension for his part in the heated exchanges between his side and Espanyol on Wednesday.

The Uruguayan allegedly branded opposition players a "waste of space" when heading down the tunnel at the end of a match which counted 13 cards, two of which were red and handed to Espanyol pair Hernan Perez and Pape Diop. Goalkeeper Pau Lopez was lucky to escape further punishment in the tie due to a stamp on Lionel Messi that went unseen by referee Juan Martinez Munuera.

The official recorded in his match report: "Whilst all the Espanyol players climbed the stairs in the tunnel towards the dressing rooms, he (Suarez) waited for them and confronted them saying on various occasions: 'Here I am waiting for you, come here; you are a waste of space.'"

The ban will see Suarez sit out Saturday's La Liga meeting with Granada and the second leg of the Copa Del Rey last 16 showdown with Espanyol. Barcelona confirmed in a statement that it will appeal Suarez's punishment.

"In the appeal, FC Barcelona is expected to argue that the player, as he later stated, did not use the allegedly offensive words that were attributed to him in the referee's official notes following the match," the statement reads.

With 21 goals already this term, Suarez is an integral component of Barca's firepower, but with Granada languishing towards the bottom of the La Liga table and the Catalonians taking a 4-1 advantage into the second leg with Espanyol, the suspension may not have much of an adverse effect on the club's results.