Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano took the positives from his ban for five yellow cards on Sunday against Eibar as “it’ll be good to get some rest”.
Mascherano’s switch from central defence to midfield in the second half, triggered by Sergio Busquets’ substitution, was quickly followed by a booking, which rules him out of Barca’s next La Liga game against Getafe, but he believes he will benefit from the timeout.
“Our motivation is to continue leading the table with the advantage that we’ve created until the end of the season,” he said after the game.
“That’s what will allow us to reach the end of the season with chances [of success].
“Still, much of the season remains and any failure [on our part] gives our rivals an opportunity.
“We’re trying to win the League, we’ve opened up a good advantage and we’re trying to maintain it.
“We don’t want to make mistakes that [our rivals] can take advantage of. All of our upcoming opponents have something at stake.
“In football, performances alone don’t give you victories. It’s a very fine line, but playing like we are at the moment puts us closer to glory.
“[On his booking], it was a two-on-one and I needed to stop the counterattack.
“I didn’t seek the card because someone told me to, but it’ll be good to get some rest.”
