Ferran Torres again. The attacker annoyed Atletico Madrid twice within a few weeks. His upcoming CL opponent Borussia Dortmund has also had experiences with the super-sub.
First things first: a refreshing dip. After Barcelona’s victory in the Copa, Barcelona posted a photo from the locker room. It shows many very happy, half-naked men in a fatigue pool. Due to lack of space, Ferran Torres and a few others are standing outside the pool in the back row, which disturbs the picture a little. Because the attacker actually has no business in the background.
Ferran Torres has been in great form in recent weeks. His goal to make it 1-0 at Atletico was his fifth in the Copa del Rey, where he regularly helps Robert Lewandowski to a break, as he did on Wednesday. No one has scored more goals in this competition than the 25-year-old.
In La Liga, things did not go so smoothly for a long time. Sometimes he was brought on, sometimes substituted, in the 4-1 win at Girona in September he was sent off and was then out for a few weeks with a thigh injury. But since mid-February, Ferran Torres has been absolutely unstoppable. In his last five league appearances, he has scored five times, even though he came off the bench four times. He also scored twice against the Colchoneros (4:2), who he also troubled in the cup.
Despite his recent success, the 2024 European Champion is keeping his feet on the ground. “Winning here is a great feeling,” said Ferran Torres after reaching the final against arch-rivals Real Madrid. “We have to continue to work with humility, and then the good things will come our way. A final is extremely motivating, especially when it’s against our direct rivals.”
Flick lets the ‘other nine’ play again
Flick also knows what he has in his striker. “He makes good use of his time on the pitch and is an important player,” said the coach. When asked about the competition between him and Lewandowski, he simply said he was “happy that both are scoring goals”. How true, after all, the Pole has also scored five times in the last four league games.
And so Flick left no doubt that the one who is sitting in the front row of the pool photo will be playing again soon. “On Saturday we will see a different nine again,” he said, with the league game against Betis in mind.
Lewandowski will surely also be given preference next Wednesday when the Catalans host his former club Borussia Dortmund. However, the fact that the Westphalians also have to keep an eye on the super-sub is something they had to learn the hard way in the league phase. In the 3-2 win in Dortmund, Ferran Torres came on as a substitute in the 71st minute and scored twice.
