Arda Turan has received criticism from the Spanish press for his role in Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals Real Madrid.

The 29-year-old was named as a substitute and came on for the Croatian international Ivan Rakitic in the 74th minute.

The Spanish newspaper Marca stated that Barcelona’s decline started when the Turkish international entered the field. El Mundo Deportivo also heaped criticism on Turan saying that he was unrecognisable and made crucial mistakes while on the field.

Sport meanwhile aimed their crtisism at Luis Enrique for bringing Turan on in place of Rakitic.

Turan received a rating of 5.89 for his cameo performance off the bench. The Turkish international made no key passes, dribbles or shots on target during his 17 minutes on the field.

Despite the defeat Barcelona remain seven points clear of third placed Real at the top of the table with Atleti six points behind in second place.

Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League next week.

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