Ferran Torres Steps Into Lamine Yamal's Role

Already established as a central striker, Ferran Torres surprised everyone by appearing as a right winger at Mestalla in the latest La Liga fixture between Valencia and Barcelona. While the Valencian native has been deployed as a false left winger throughout the season, operating almost as a second striker alongside Lewandowski with considerable success, he had never played on the right flank. This tactical shift could easily be interpreted as a hint from Hansi Flick regarding his future plans.

Barring any surprises, Ferran is expected to start the World Cup in this very position, at least until Lamine, who will likely miss the opening match against Cape Verde on June 15th in Atlanta, regains his optimal form.

As is often the case when given a starting spot, Ferran delivered a remarkable performance, demonstrating that his dip in form from the beginning of the year is now firmly in the past. In the first half, he was sharp and constantly sought out open spaces. During one of his positional exchanges with Rashford, he even pulled off a spectacular feint against Tarega. His efforts were rewarded in the second half when a slightly off-target shot found Lewandowski, who scored to make it 1-0. The embrace between the two after the goal underscored the mutual respect they've built over these seasons, despite often competing for the same position.

The Spanish international, who this Monday will be included in Luis de la Fuente's 26-man squad for the North American World Cup, set to kick off in a matter of weeks, concludes the season with 21 goals and three assists in 49 appearances. In La Liga, he reached 16 goals, sharing the top Spanish goalscorer award with Lamine. His second World Cup finds him at the peak of his career... and still without a renewed contract with Barça. In recent days, the club offices have exuded calm, but the truth is that from now on, Ferran holds all the cards. But that, as they say, is another story.

Analysis by Juan Jimenez, “AS”