EPL: Manchester United drop more points in frustrating 1-1 draw vs Southampton at Old Trafford
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Barcelona forward Ferran Torres was visibly upset at the full-time whistle in the Europa League clash against Napoli on Thursday, February 18.
The Spaniard saved Barcelona from defeat as he equalised in the entertaining 1-1 draw at the Nou Camp, but was also guilty of missing some gilt-edged chances late on.
Making their first appearance in the Europa League in 18 years, Barcelona fell behind when Piotr Zielinski drove in a strike after 29 minutes.
Barcelona were however handed the chance to restore parity after Adama Traore’s cross hit Juan Jesus' hand, and the referee instantly pointed to the spot.
EPL: Manchester United drop more points in frustrating 1-1 draw vs Southampton at Old Trafford
FootballTorres stepped up and made no mistake from 12 yards, as he sent goalkeeper Alex Meret the wrong way for the equaliser.
The goal would have come as a huge relief for Torres, who had earlier missed a glorious opportunity when the game was goalless as he fired over when well placed inside the box.
But despite the equaliser, it proved to be a miserable night for the former Manchester City man.
One of the biggest chances of the evening came when the ball broke kindly for him in the second minute of stoppage time, but he failed to keep his effort on target.
Another swift attack also saw Barcelona play some intricate stuff, with Torres once again failing to finish off what would have been a brilliant move.
After the game, the Spaniard needed some consoling from his teammates as he broke down in tears for all his missed chances.
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FootballCaptain Sergio Busquets was one of the players who attempted to console the forward, who knelt in the middle of the pitch in despair at full time.
From the overall balance of play, Barcelona really should have won the match as they enjoyed 67% possession as well as a host of chances.
After the game, Barca boss Xavi refused to blame Ferran Torres for the draw.
The gaffer insisted he had full trust on the forward, despite his poor outing on Thursday.
"The Barca shirt weighs a few kilos more. But I am delighted to have him in the team and he will give me a lot of joy,” Xavi said.
"In training he is one of those who scores the most. He has our absolute trust. The coaching staff and I will take care of this. He is very strong, self-demanding."