Category: FT9

ATLETICO MADRID SEASON LOOKING GOOD SO FAR

Atletico Madrid have been the team that has challenged the duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the past decade and look likely to have a great campaign this season. Led by the charismatic Argentine tactician, this version 2.0 looks more attractive than previous versions.

This season Simeone’s men have a 100% record and have benefited from rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid slips to hold a four-point lead. Although this is still early if there is one thing we know about Atletico it is their sturdy defence.

Led by Slovakia stopper Jan Oblak, the defence has largely changed with the exit of Felipe Luiz, Juanfran and Diego Godin. The arrival of Kieran Trippier gives Atletico extra impetus as they possess one of the best crossers in Europe.

The England international showed his quality producing an exquisite goal for Alvaro Morata in the first game of the season against Getafe. The midfield has largely remained the same with the likes of Lemar, Partey, Koke and Saul forming the bedrock of the team.

One area that has improved is the attack with the signing of Joao Felix from Benfica in the summer.  The 19-year-old has shown abilities that belies his age and has emerged as the golden boy of the club.

The last true golden boy of the club was Fernando Torres. Torres was loved by the fans largely because he started playing for the club at a young age. Although Felix is more of a creator all-rounder than  Torres he has shown the ability to be unfazed by the occasion.

He is expected to play a major role for the club this season as they seek to win the League title. If he can secure the title for the club then he is on the way to reaching the levels that Torres attained within the club fanbase.

BARCELONA LEGEND FINISHES CAREER WITH A BANG

Xavi Hernandez is considered as one of the greatest midfielders to play the game and the Spaniard has added another title to his career. The 39-year-old helped Qatari club AL Sadd claim the 2018/2019 Qatari Stars League title.

Al Saddrequired a draw to win the title in their last game at home to win the title.  Bounedjah was the star of the game as he scored a superb hat-trick in the match as AL Sadd. Xavi also contributed a fine assist in the match in what was a feast of football.

Xavi had earlier in the campaign announced his intention to retire at the end of the season-ending over two decades of top flight football.

The former Barcelona midfielder has always stated his intention to move into management after he retires and has reportedly begun his training for his coaching badges.

Xavi was known for his dynamic partnership during his Barcelona days with Andreas Iniesta and Sergio Busquet. The trio were pivotal to Barcelona and Spain’s success from 2009-2015.

He would be remembered for revolutionizing the midfield role to accommodate small sized players. Before his time, clubs preferred physical combative midfielders but the Spaniard was able to show that technical nous trumps physical efforts

Al Sadd have been the best team in the Qatar League this season as they have brushed other clubs with ease. The arrival of Atletico Madrid legend Gabi has provided star dust alongside Xavi to drive the team from the midfield.

The league victory caps a remarkable stint for the Spaniard in Qatar as this made it the fifth trophy won by the 39-year-old in the space of five years at the club.

Xavi made 78 appearances for the Al Saddduring his time at the club netting 19 goals and providing 27 assists in the process.

SALAH BREAKS TORRES RECORD

Salah’s goal against Southampton was a milestone for the Egyptian forward as he became the fastest Liverpool forward to notch 50 Premier League. The Egyptian had been stuck on 49 since February having endured a long scoring drought.

However, his individual effort at Southampton saw him overtake Spanish forward Fernando Torres in the record books. Torres was an exceptional forward during his time at Anfield and took just 72 games to score 50 EPL goals for the Reds.

Salah has taken three fewer games to reach the milestone making it 50goals in 69 games for the Reds which is roughly almost a goal per game. This milestone was not expected by many when the Egyptian signed for the club last summer.

Many felt that the 26-year-old was overpriced and would struggle to perform in the EPL after his initial stint at Chelsea.  However, Salah has been able to form a good partnership with Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane to good effect.

Last season the Egyptian scored 32 goals in his debut season and has added 18 already this season making his transfer look like a coup for Jurgen Klopp’s team.  The Egyptian has been key this season as the Reds look to break their EPL drought and currently lead the League ahead of Manchester City who have a game in hand.

Liverpool also have a foot in the Champions League as they were able to secure a 2-0 victory in the first leg of their quarter-final tie with Porto.  If Salah can continue to deliver for the Reds and they achieve league success his stay at the club would be considered a bigger success than Torres.

The Egyptian would be preparing for the visit of former club Chelsea on Sunday as Liverpool look to continue their good run.

GRIEZMANN OVERTAKES FERNANDO TORRES RECORD.

French forward Antoine Griezmann made history on Saturday in Atletico Madrid away victory at Rayo Vallecano. The 27-year-old notched the winner in the 1-0 victory thereby overtaking club legend Fernando Torres in the all-time scoring list.

Griezmann had drawn level with the Spanish striker in the Madrid derby when he scored from the penalty spot in the 3-1 defeat. The French ace now has 130 goals for Atletico Madrid which is a remarkable feat for the 27-year-old.

Simeone has converted an exciting winger signed from Real Sociedad in 2014 to a complete forward capable of leading the line or playing in a front two. Within this period of time, the Frenchman has finished third in the FIFA BalonD’ Or award.

His strike at Vallecano moved the Atletico to second place on the League table above Real Madrid who suffered a shock defeat at home to Girona. The result also puts the club seven points behind league leaders Barcelona in the race for the La Liga title. Griezmann has proven to be vital to Simeoneplans and has a remarkable history of staying injury free

Griezmann leads the table of players whose goals has won the most points for their team, the World Cup-winning star has won 13 points for Atletico Madrid this season. He has also scored the only goal in the last three wins for the Madrid outfit.

The Frenchman is six goals behind the next player on the top scorer list Jose Eulogio Garate on 136 which he should meet before the end of the season. However, he is some way behind the top scorer on the list former Spain coach Luis Aragones who leads the table on 172 goals.

Griezmann signed a long-term deal with Atletico at the start of the season and the club would be hopeful that he breaks the record in the coming years.  Atletico Madrid host Juventus at the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday and the Frenchman would be expected to have an impact on the game.

Liverpool favorite for the title

Former Liverpool player Fernando Torres believes that his former club is the favorites to win the title. He said that Jurgen Klopp has turned this side into a genuine title contender and that there is no doubt that they can go all the way. He said that they are undefeated since the start of the season and this shows the ability of this team.

He believes that the match against Manchester City will be important and that the winner of this game will have a psychological advantage over their rival. He said that Liverpool has been consistent throughout the season and that it is important that they continue like this if they want to win the title.

He said that Klopp has instilled so much belief in the team and that they are not afraid of anyone. He said that the Anfield side has been progressing continuously since the German manager took over and that they are now in a great position to win the title. He said that they were outstanding last year in the Champions League and managed to reach the final of the competition.

Fernando Torres said that Liverpool is playing exciting football and that it is not only good to watch but also very effective. He said that opposing teams find it difficult to defend against Liverpool’s front three and that is the strength of the team.

He said that Klopp is also a great tactician and that he knows when to make changes to his team in order to help them win games. He said that they are in a good position in the league and that if they remain consistent there is no doubt that they will be able to clinch the title. He said that this will be a wonderful moment for the fans as they have been waiting for that for a long time.

Torres wants Liverpool to be Premier League champions

Fernando Torres wishes Liverpool and not Chelsea to go on to become the champions of the English top tier this season. Torres featured for Liverpool and Chelsea at the peak of his career from 2007 to 2015 and enjoyed a great time at the two clubs.

The Spaniard says that it gets very difficult for him whenever he is asked to pick one between these two clubs because he has got emotional attachment with both of them and he can’t pick one. That’s why when these two teams go head to head against each other in the Premiership or in any other competition, he prefers not watching the game because if he watches, he doesn’t know whom to support.

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Fernando Torres Clears He Wants To Leave Atletico Madrid In The Summer

Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres will leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires, the player has confirmed. The 34-year-old has only made three leagues beginning of this season and has scored two goals in 20 league shows for second-placed Atletico. This he did after signing a one-year extension contract around 12 months ago.

“This will be my last season at the club,” Torres told a press conference. “It has not been an easy decision and it has been difficult to make, but I feel obliged to tell the fans. You can see that my role has been very limited; I think it’s the right time to advertise it. My conscience is clear and I think I’ve given everything I could. My idea was to hang my boots up here.”

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Torres scores first goal

Former Spain international Fernando Torres has scored his first goal for Japanese club Sagan Tosu and set up another two goals. Torres has failed to score in his previous seven matches ever since coming to Japan.

Sagan was already leading in the game before Torres managed to score his goal. This was an important match for Fernando Torres as he was facing he was former teammate Iniesta who now plays for Vissel Kobe.

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AC Milan will benfit from having patience with Torres

AC Milan recently signed £ 50 million flop Fernando Torres on a two-year loan spell from Chelsea just a few days before transfer deadline day. The Spaniard is set to make his first start for his new club in the league match against Empoli. Ahead of this encounter, Torres’ former teammate at Atletico Madrid, Demetrio Albertini, says that Milan will benefit from having patience with the 30-year-old. The striker has struggled for form in the last four years and Albertini says that it is very unlikely that he will recover it very soon.

Milan have made a great start to the season after winning the opening two matches, but they recently were defeated 1-0 by title rivals Juventus. Despite this setback, Filippo Inzaghi’s team look a formidable force. They have been playing an attractive brand of football which would in turn help Torres with several opportunities at his feet. It was not long ago that the 30-year-old was regarded as one of the best strikers in the world. Albertini has recalled that former Spain coach Luis Aragones was aware that Torres was a player who found it difficult to score goals that were normally tap ins for other players, but he was extremely adept at scoring tough goals.

“He can become a key player in Serie A. Fernando was very young when we played together at Atletico. He was the top scorer of the team. He is a great purchase. He is not one that scores very much. You have to have faith, wait patiently. As Luis Aragones said, as our Coach in Madrid then, 2002-03, Fernando finds it easier to score difficult goals than he does easy ones,” said the former Atletico Madrid teammate of Torres. After losing Mario Balotelli to Liverpool, Torres is the first choice striker available at the disposal of Inzaghi.

Mourinho Has Never Lost Faith In Torres

Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho has never lost faith in Fernando Torres, the Spanish player which cost the Premier League club €50 million failed to live up to the expectations that he could play at the same world class level he did some years ago when performing with Liverpool.

Even with his significant number of underwhelming matches and low amount of goals being scored in every season it seems like Mourinho truly believes that Fernando Torres still has a lot more to offer and the former Real Madrid manager continuously places the Spanish attacker in his starting lineup.

Chelsea has played a number of pre-season friendly matches against Vitesse, Werder Bremen, Olimpija and a few other clubs and the team of Jose Mourinho has collected positive results in all of the games except when locking horns with Werder Bremen where Fernando Torres missed the net from point blank range.

Jose Mourinho shut down claims and rumors linking Fernando Torres with a move away from Chelsea as the Portuguese manager went on saying that Torres will only leave if the player desires on doing so and this will not happen as Torres has already announced that he wants to repay Chelsea and the fans of the club for their support towards him.

If Fernando Torres does indeed remain in Stamford Bridge and no other high profile attacker is signed by Jose Mourinho then Torres and Diego Costa are expected to be lined up together as the main offensive players for Chelsea during the next Premier League season but if Torres does not perform at the level that is demanded by the club then it would be a wise decision for Mourinho to sign another player that can serve as a back-up option for the inconsistent Fernando Torres who  has a lot to prove if he wants to silence his critics.