FERRAN Torres was reduced to tears at full-time of Barcelona’s Europa League draw with Napoli on Thursday night, after a wasteful night for the £55 million signing at the Camp Nou.
The former Manchester City forward scored the Catalans’ equaliser from the penalty spot, but missed two golden chances to find a winner late on — and he couldn’t hold back his disappointment when the final whistle signalled a 1-1 first-leg draw.
Torres tried to be consoled by Napoli defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo when he was moved to tears on his haunches, but the Spanish striker did not want to acknowledge him.
Meanwhile, Barcelona manager Xavi was confident that Torres will put those chances away in Catalan colours — and reveals that the Spanish international has the club’s “absolute trust”.
“The Barca shirt weighs a few kilos more,” said Xavi when asked about Torres’ moment of waterworks.
“But I am delighted to have him in the team and he will give me a lot of joy.
“If he is in the penalty area, it is because he will score. He has scored goals all his life and he will have them.
“In training, he is one of those who scores the most. He has our absolute trust. The coaching staff and I will take care of this. He is very strong, self-demanding.”
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The Europa League play-off clash with Napoli was Torres’ sixth outing in a Barcelona shirt and Thursday night’s goal was his second strike for his new club.
The 21-year-old moved to Barcelona from City at the start of the January transfer window and recovered from a metatarsal injury sustained in England to make his Catalans debut later that month.
Torres lined up in a new-look attack for Xavi’s team on Thursday night, with fellow January signings Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore lining up in the front three.
But after sustained pressure in the first-half on the Napoli goal — which saw Torres miss a golden chance on the half hour mark to break the deadlock — it was the Italians who struck first at the Camp Nou when Piotr Zielinski crashed home an effort from inside the box after his initial strike came off the post.
Torres equalised for the Catalans from the penalty spot, but his evening could have been better.
Barcelona pushed for an equaliser which they got when Traore’s cross came off the hand of Partenopei defender Juan Jesus, with the referee awarding a penalty after consulting VAR. — Daily Mail
