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Three talking points from Barcelona’s win over Elche

By Ernesto Hernandez

Memphis Depay (R) celebrates scoring his team's second goal with Dani Alves during the Spanish league football match between Elche CF and FC Barcelona at the Martinez Valero stadium in Elche on March 6, 2022. (Photo by JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Memphis Depay (R) celebrates scoring his team's second goal with Dani Alves during the Spanish league football match between Elche CF and FC Barcelona at the Martinez Valero stadium in Elche on March 6, 2022. (Photo by JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Ferran Torres  scored Barcelona’s equalizer against Elche CF at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Sunday in Elche, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
Ferran Torres  scored Barcelona’s equalizer against Elche CF at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Sunday in Elche, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) /

Despite struggles, Ferran Torres is key for Xavi

Xavi decided to rest Ferran Torres as the forward had played every match up to that point. His absence was felt in the first half and the team suffered without him.

Once he entered the game, it seemed to revolutionize the team. He may have scored the equalizer but his efficiency, or lack thereof, was once again on display. With Torres, you take the good with the bad.

He missed a couple of chances but his movement and ability off the ball certainly helped Barcelona open up Elche in the second half. He played only 45 minutes but had an immediate, positive impact.

While the criticism towards his misses is valid, at the very least he is putting himself in positions where he can score.  The law of averages suggests sooner or later some of his misses will turn into goals.

There is a reason why Xavi continues to count on him despite some of those misses. There is a reason why they paid €55 million to sign him from Manchester City. He does everything else well and is going through a slump when it comes to scoring. In other words, expect Torres to continue to be an undisputed starter under Xavi.

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