Neymar on Cristiano: Ronaldo needs to be punished

Neymar on Cristiano: 'Sometimes you give in to provocation'

Ronaldo was sent from the field for kicking then striking defender Edimar in the 82nd minute of the match.

He had earlier been caught by television cameras throwing a punch towards an opposition player while challenging for the ball at a corner, but the incident went unseen by officials.

Neymar says Ronaldo should keep his cool in such situations, and should be punished.

"It is difficult because sometimes there is provocation," he said. "It happened to Zinedine Zidane, it happened to me. Nobody has the coolness to remain calm 100 per cent of the time.

"We must think with our heads. I think he should be punished.

"It is the referee's responsibility to protect players on the pitch, particularly when they are targeted by hard challenges. Hard tackles must be punished."

The Brazilian superstar may get his wish, with the Ballon d'Or winner facing anything up to a TWELVE match ban when the disciplinary hearing takes place on Wednesday, according to Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

However, such a sanction would be extremely unlikely, and the Portuguese may actually only miss Los Blancos' home clash with Real Sociedad at the weekend.

A late Gareth Bale penalty sealed the three points for Real against Cordoba, and they sit a point clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga, with a game in hand over their great rivals.