Barcelona forward’s stats prove he’s more lethal under Hansi Flick than Xavi | OneFootball

FC Barcelona lined up against Elche with Hansi Flick’s strongest possible starting eleven, given the available players. The attack featured Lamine Yamal on the right, Marcus Rashford on the left, and Ferran Torres leading the line as the central striker.

All three attackers found the net in the 3-1 victory over the newly promoted side, but Ferran’s goal carried particular significance. Returning from a muscle injury, the Valencian forward continued his impressive scoring run and reached a major personal milestone in the process.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Ferran’s strike against Elche was his 50th goal in a Barcelona shirt, taking him past Thierry Henry on the club’s all-time scoring list.

Interestingly, Ferran’s 50 goals are evenly divided between two managerial eras, with 25 scored under Xavi Hernandez and 25 under Hansi Flick, although the number of games required under each coach differs dramatically.

Ferran’s 25 under Xavi came in 113 matches (5,938 minutes), while his 25 under Flick have come in just 57 games (2,730 minutes). That is a significant improvement in consistency, which has been evident over the past 18 months.

Another reason for this drastic difference is how differently the two managers have profiled him. Xavi used Ferran mostly as a left winger, but the German coach has chosen to use him as a No. 9 in most games.

Under Xavi, Ferran operated mainly as a left winger, where he scored 12 goals in 59 matches, accounting for 52% of his total appearances. As a central striker, he managed 5 goals in 20 games (17.5%), and on the right flank, he added 8 goals in 34 matches (30.5%). His influence was limited by the wider positioning and the team’s emphasis on controlled buildup play.

Under Flick, that profile has completely changed. The German coach has placed Ferran at the heart of the attack, using him predominantly as a No. 9. Out of his 57 matches under Flick, 30 have come as a striker (52.5%), yielding 14 goals.

On the left wing, he has played 19 games (33.5%) and scored 10, while on the right side, he has featured 8 times (14%) and scored once. The shift towards a central role has clearly unlocked a more lethal version of Ferran.

Statistically, Ferran now averages a goal every 173 minutes, edging past Thierry Henry’s scoring rate during his Barcelona spell. He has also surpassed Ronaldo Nazario’s tally at the club, though the Brazilian’s extraordinary ratio of a goal every 90 minutes remains untouched.

As versatile as he is, the Shark feels much sharper when playing through the middle, and this is a major reason his goalscoring numbers have improved under Flick. This season, he seems to be taking on the mantle of starting striker from Lewandowski.

It remains to be seen whether Ferran can sustain his goalscoring form and even improve it in the coming months. This season is effectively an audition for him to prove he can be a starter for Barcelona, and let’s wait and see how it plays out.