Spanish striker Ferran Torres silenced his critics with a brace in Barça’s 4-1 home win over Espanyol on Saturday at the Spotify Camp Nou, in the Catalan derby as part of La Liga’s 31st round.
With Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atlético Madrid in mind, Torres could not have picked a better moment or opponent to end his goal drought, as noted by Catalan dailyMundo Deportivo.
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Torres last scored in a competitive match on 31 January against Elche, also in La Liga.
The Barça striker thought he had netted a third against Espanyol, heading in from Eric García, only for the referee and VAR to rule it out for millimetre-perfect offside.
It was a clear sign of frustration.
Torres celebrated his first goal with a pointed gesture: he wiggled his fingers, clasped his hands together, then opened them wide, silencing critics who had highlighted his goal drought. In fact, he had gone two and a half months and 13 appearances without finding the net.
The brace takes his season tally to 17 and 18 goals in all four competitions (14 in La Liga), placing him fifth in the league scoring chart, one goal behind Lamine Yamal, He has now surpassed the 12 goals scored by his Catalan strike partner, Robert Lewandowski.
The milestones arrived in his 201st appearance for the club, following his 200th outing—a brief cameo against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League that failed to produce a goal.
Lewandowski was expected to start the second leg against Atlético, but Ferran Torres has staked his claim after shining in the Catalan derby, according to*Mundo Deportivo*.
The Polish star started against the Rojiblancos in the first leg, but was replaced by Hansi Flick after Pau Cubarce’s sending-off just before half-time; the match finished 2-0 in Madrid’s favour.