"He is proving the haters wrong", "most improved player" - Fans hail Barcelona star for his showing in win against Real Madrid

Fans hailed the performance of attacker Ferran Torres in Barcelona's thrilling 4-3 La Liga home win over holders Real Madrid on Sunday (May 11). The leaders trailed 2-0 after 14 minutes but rallied brilliantly to take the win.

Kylian Mbappe set the ball rolling for Los Blancos inside five minutes from the spot, breaking the deadlock at the Olimpic Lluis Companys. Nine minutes later, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner put Carlo Ancelotti's side in the ascendancy.

However, Eric Garcia pulled one back for Barca in the 19th minute before Lamine Yamal sparked a dramatic turnaround by hauling them back on level terms 13 minutes later. Raphinha then joined the party, netting twice in 11 minutes as Hansi Flick's side led 4-2 at the break.

Although Mbappe reduced arrears for Madrid 20 minutes from time, completing his hat-trick, an equaliser wasn't to be as Barca went seven points clear at the top, effectively ending Madrid's slim chances of a successful title defence.

While Torres didn't score on the night, fans were all praise for the Spaniard, providing a hat-trick of assists, assisting all three Barca goalscorers. One tweeted:

"Ferran Torres has always been one of my favourite players, and now finally he is proving the haters wrong."

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Another chimed in:

"Ferran Torres most improved player this season ngl"

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One fan tweeted:

"Lewa might be in danger with this Ferran performance"

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There were similar reactions from other fans, with one posting Torres' game stats: three assists, 42 touches, 18/22 accurate passes and a 9.2 Rating.

Another fan commented:

"Great game Ferran, 3 assists"

Torres, 25, is in the midst of an impressive season, contributing 19 goals and seven assists in 45 outings across competitions.

Barcelona on brink of La Liga title after beating Real Madrid

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick's side beat Real Madrid.

Barcelona are having a fabulous season under Hansi Flick, who arrived at the helm at the start of the season. replacing the legendary Xavier Hernandez. The former Bayern Munich has already delivered two titles: the Supercopa Espana and the Copa del Rey.

Although their hopes of a historic quadruple ended with a defeat to Inter Milan (7-6 on aggregate after extra time) in a UEFA Champions League semi-final classic, they are on the cusp of winning the La Liga titles.

Following their home win over Real Madrid, Flick's side will seal the deal with a win at Espanyol on Thursday (May 15) or if Los Blancos lose to Mallorca at home a day earlier.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Bhargav