Did Luis Suarez pinch Chelsea defender Rudiger? Image goes viral from heated UCL clash

Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez, despite being touted among the top goalscorers in the world at the moment, has faced backlash for his on-field conduct time and again, dating back to his days at AFC Ajax. His biting incidents - during the World Cup against Georgio Chiellini and Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic during his stint with Liverpool, have earned him the irk of the fans. Further tarnishing his reputation, he has been accused of pinching Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger during his side's Champions League defeat on Tuesday.  

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Did Luis Suarez pinch Rudiger during Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea clash? 

Suarez and Rudiger ended up in an altercation during the first leg of the round of 16 clash. The Chelsea defender put the ball out of play only to receive sharp reactions from Suarez. The Uruguayan international appeared to pinch Rudiger who then reacted angrily as he held Suarez by his neck.

The Atletico Madrid forward then laughed at the Chelsea defender as he pushed him away. The two players managed to avoid any booking though from referee Dr. Felix Brych as the match official kept his calm during the heated argument. But the Luis Suarez Antonio Rudiger bust-up hasn't gone down well with the fans.

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Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea: Fans react sharply to Luis Suarez Antonio Rudiger bust-up

Chelsea fans took to Twitter to slam Suarez's uncalled-for behaviour at the Blues' star. One Twitter user described it as disgusting behaviour claiming that the act from Suarez went against the ethos of competitiveness. Another user plunged into Rudiger's defence, insisting that Suarez's pinch acted as the trigger for the Chelsea player to hold him by his neck. 

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Chelsea rise following Giroud goal vs Atletico Madrid 

Despite an entertaining and thrilling first half, the two sides failed to achieve the breakthrough. But things took a favourable turn for Thomas Tuchel with Olivier Giroud scoring the match-winner in the 68th minute. The French forward latched onto a miscued clearance from Mario Hermoso to strike an acrobatic finish past Jan Oblak.

 Atletico Madrid, who have struggled in the previous few games, failed to bag the equaliser. Diego Simeone's men have dropped seven points in the previous four fixtures of LaLiga. 

Meanwhile, Tuchel decided to bring in defensive enforcements. The move was aimed to defend the lead against the Rojinblancos after Giroud's goal and succeeded well in it. The final outcome of the tie will now be decided in the second leg which will be played on March 17 (March 18 according to IST) at Stamford Bridge. 

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Image courtesy: AP