Forward insists he is not listening to external noise and will respond to everything with hard work
Ferran Torres delivered a strong response to his critics after scoring twice in Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby, helping his side extend their lead at the top of La Liga.
The forward has faced regular scrutiny since joining Barcelona from Manchester City in 2021, and those calls rose to a crescendo during a 15-game goal drought that began on 31 January. However, his first-half brace against Espanyol ended the run and took his tally to 18 in 43 appearances across all competitions this season.
After the match, Torres addressed the criticism he has received and insisted his focus remains on his own performances.
“There is always external noise around me, more often for the bad and very rarely for the good,” said Torres. “It p*sses them off, but I am always focused on myself, on working and improving. There are times when things don’t go as one wants, but it won’t be for a lack of work.
“In the end, it’s clear that a forward is judged by goals. It is true that I was coming off a period without scoring, but I always believe in hard work, which gives you the reward and reaches you when you have patience.”
Barcelona’s victory was strengthened by Real Madrid’s dropped points against Girona, leaving them within touching distance of their 29th La Liga title and their second in two seasons so far under Hansi Flick.
Alejandro Balde was also in fantastic shape in his return from injury and the left-back said it was vital the team capitalised on Madrid’s slip.
“We knew today we couldn’t fail because Madrid drew and we had a very good opportunity,” said Balde. “The team did very well and stepped up.
“The important thing is how you respond, and the team was great in being able to score two more goals.”
Regarding his fitness, Balde said: “I feel good. It’s always difficult to return from injury and regain rhythm, but I felt very good. I’m really looking forward to Tuesday [against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League] and completing the comeback.”
