La Liga: Barcelona to appeal Suarez, Pique yellow cards

La Liga leaders Barcelona will appeal the yellow cards handed to defender Gerard Pique and striker Luis Suarez during Saturday's 3-0 win at Leganes, the Spanish club has said.

Pique was booked in the first half for fouling Leganes midfielder Nordin Amrabat and will miss Barcelona's league game against second-placed Valencia through suspension if his yellow card is not repealed.

Suarez, who scored twice against Leganes to end a five-match goal drought, was cautioned for impeding goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar in the second half.

"FC Barcelona appealing yellow cards shown to Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez during Saturday's 3–0 win at Leganés," the Catalonian team said on their Twitter.

If the appeal is unsuccessful, Barcelona will have to rely on their only two fit centre-backs -- Thomas Vermaelen and Samuel Umtiti -- as they try to maintain their four-point lead at the top of the standings when they visit Valencia on Sunday.

Marcelino dismissed but Valencia keep pressure on Barcelona

Valencia coach Marcelino was sent off from the dugout for dissent before watching his side earn a barely deserved 2-0 win at Espanyol to stay in touch with Barcelona ahead of next week's showdown against the Liga leaders.

A rocket from Geoffrey Kondogbia put Valencia on their way to victory midway through the second half soon after Marcelino received his marching orders and Santi Mina sealed the victory late in the game.

After Marcelino's sending off, which means he will be absent from the dugout for the visit of Barca, French midfielder Kondogbia broke the deadlock against the run of play with a deadly shot from the edge of the area in the 66th minute, his third goal of the season.

Mina then pounced on a defensive clanger from Espanyol's Victor Sanchez in the 82nd minute to seal a club record eighth league win in a row for Valencia, who have emerged as unlikely candidates to jostle Barcelona for the Liga title.

Barca lead the standings on 34 points from 12 games, Valencia are second in 30, while Real are third and Atletico fourth, both on 24. Valencia host Barca next Sunday at Mestalla.

Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao's veteran striker Aritz Aduriz scored a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Villarreal to save the Basque side from a fourth straight defeat while Las Palmas suffered an eighth consecutive loss, 2-0 at home to Levante.

Las Palmas prop up the table on six points with their embattled coach Pako Ayestaran now having now lost a league record 13 consecutive games across three seasons with two clubs.

Malaga earned a second straight home win by beating Deportivo La Coruna 3-2 to ease pressure on coach Michel although his side are still in the relegation zone, 18th on seven points.

They are a place ahead of Alaves, who are alongside Las Palmas on six.