Getty Ferran Torres is in action for Barcelona.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has revealed what was on the note passed to Ferran Torres during the team’s 5-1 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Wednesday
Substitute Pablo Torre came on late in the match and was clearly seen passing a message to Torres on the pitch. The forward was then captured reading the instructions from his manager.
Images: Pablo Torre giving a piece of paper with a message from Xavi to Ferran Torres.
Barcelona were already 5-1 up at the time and had just 10 minutes of normal time left to play, but Xavi has explained he still wanted to make adjustments to his team, as reported by Diario Sport.
“Sometimes you make a quick or unexpected change and you don’t have time to explain details of the strategy at corners and set pieces. In this case it was a matter of position in the strategy,” he said. “They are position changes that the player has to understand in tenths of seconds and it is important that everyone understands the idea that we have.”
Torre replaced Franck Kessie for the final minutes of the game and was Barcelona’s last substitute. The youngster’s appearance was his first of the season for Barcelona since his move from Racing in the summer and also his Champions League debut.
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Ferran Torres on Target
Xavi had earlier introduced Torres off the bench after 65 minutes of the game. The substitute had made an instant impact, teeing up a goal for Robert Lewandowski and then scoring his first of the season with an emphatic finish.
The forward has found game time hard to come by this season, due to the competition for places in the Barca attack, and spoke about his situation after the match, as reported by UEFA.
“It was a vital win on our return to the Camp Nou on a Champions League night. The team was in a good place, working hard and these are three very important points,” he said. “Coming off the bench I knew I had to take advantage of every minute so to score and give an assist was very satisfying.”
Torres’s cameo was a reminder of his talents but he still faces a tough time forcing his way into the starting XI with Lewandowski, Raphinha, Ansu Fati, Memphis Depay and Ousmane Dembele in the squad.
Bayern Up Next For Barcelona
Wednesday’s victory over Viktoria Plzen means Barcelona have made a strong start to their Champions League campaign. However, Xavi’s side now face a very tough test with a trip to Bayern Munich up next.
The fixture sees Lewandowski back at his former club, and the striker says his new team are ready to take on the Bundesliga champions, are reported by Sport.
“I feel great, the Champions League is always special. It’s important to stay focused like this. I’m not thinking about the game against Bayern yet. It will be very difficult, but we are ready,” he said. “I want to score as many goals as possible.”
Lewandowski has already made a big impact at Barcelona since his move. The 34-year-old has eight games in five games so far and looks to be in top form ahead of his reunion with Bayern.
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