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The Spanish Football Federation have announced that Mateu Lahoz, who was appointed as the referee for Saturday’s El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, has suffered an injury and will be replaced by Gil Manzano.
⚠️ OFICIAL | Cambio por lesión muscular en la designación arbitral de la J30 de Primera División: @realmadrid @FCBarcelona
— RFEF (@rfef) April 9, 2021
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Gil Manzano was the referee during Real Madrid’s 4-1 loss in Mestalla against Valencia, a controversial one where Madrid were called for three penalties. He was also in charge of Real’s win against Athletic Bilbao and the 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad.
While Mateu Lahoz likes to keep the flow of the game going and allows both teams to play with intensity and physicality, Gil Manzano’s style is more traditional in his approach.
It’s a crucial game for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, who need the win if they want to keep fighting for the 2020-2021 Liga title against Atletico de Madrid. Whoever loses this game could potentially be out of the race for the title and a draw might not be good for neither side.