Hans-Dieter Flick’s decision to leave Robert Lewandowski on the bench in favor of Ferran Torres as the attacking option in the last match against Barcelona raised many surprises. Although he decided to give the Polish star his usual rest in the Copa del Rey, he was expected to be given a starting spot in such a crucial match, especially after his very poor performance against Las Palmas.
However, Flick surprised everyone by choosing Torres, who had put in a great performance in the previous round by scoring a hat-trick against his former team, Valencia. Yet, against Atlético Madrid, Torres once again confirmed that he does not have the required level to be a starter in important matches, as he wasted two very easy chances, most notably a one-on-one opportunity when the score was 0-2.
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Torres failed to shoot the ball correctly, allowing Juan Musso to intervene and save the goal. A few minutes later, after missing a chance in front of an empty net, he failed to finish the move as the ball was cleared off the goal line. He did not make the most of the opportunity and was substituted in the 68th minute, leading to the Barcelona fans expressing their anger at the player’s performance.
In turn, Ferran Torres, who has begun to prove himself in recent matches, had to endure some boos from the fans. In the dressing room, there were some players who did not fully understand Flick’s decision to start Torres over Lewandowski, who has proven in the limited minutes on the pitch that he is capable of making a difference and scoring goals, with De Jong and Raphinha among those leading this sentiment.
If there are any doubts, the “number 9” is the best option to be the main striker, especially in difficult matches against strong teams like Atlético.
Before Flick chose Torres as the main striker, the Catalan duo De Jong and Raphinha suggested to Flick the idea of selecting Dani Olmo, who has previously played this role in past matches and performed well.
