“Fernando Torres shows his talent against us and we are suffering him these last years”. Those are words of Frank Rijkaard minutes after the end of last campaing Barça-Atleti, in which Fernando Torres killed with two goals a rival that at the end, won the National Championship League and the Champions. Number ‘9’ of Atletico will return this week to one of his favourites scenes, Camp Nou , a Stadium in which he is one of the forwards more respected and feared (Thursday 10:00 p.m.). The last two seasons, the red and white forward scored two doublets to F.C. Barcelona at his feud, achieving a percentage of one goal for each of the four matches number ‘9’ has played at the blue and maroon Stadium since he debuted at the First Category.

Torres has proved to have controlled the blue and maroon team and their defense, especially Puyol, who has checked in several occasions the difficulty of covering his teammate in the National team. At his debut in the first category, the season 02-03, he didn’t score any of the two goals Atletico scored in the blue and maroon feud, and the same thing happends at the match of 03-04. He had to wait to 04-05 to score his first goal at Barça Stadium. At minute 1’ of the match Ibagaza assisted to number ‘9’ with the heel and, after a long run, he beat Valdes with a low left footed shot. Fernando completed the doublet from the penalty point after being charged by the Catalan goalkeeper.

The legend was increased in the 04-05 campaign when number ‘9’ scored 2 more goals. At the first one Maxi left a docile ball in the area so Torres could score in front of Valdes with a left footed, while the second one Torres entered from the left wing, controlled in the area a pass by Maxi and sent the ball far away from Valdes with a subtle shot. In the global count of the matches between F.C. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid the numbers reveled that the Catalan team is, with 7 goals, one of the most scored teams by Fernando Torres.


Photo: Jose antonio Garcia Sirvent