Struggling Barcelona forward is expected to start against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga – Report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have been performing at a very high level in recent weeks. The attack, in particular, has been functioning superbly, but one player who has struggled for goals for some time now is Ferran Torres.

That has seen the Spaniard lose his starting place in Flick’s team. However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Ferran is expected to come into the starting line-up for the La Liga clash, with Hansi Flick looking to rotate his attack after the physical demands of recent games.

The Barcelona forward has gone through a difficult spell in front of goal, but the visit of Rayo Vallecano could now offer him the kind of start that helps a striker breathe again and find his rhythm. He is expected to replace Robert Lewandowski in the XI.

That makes plenty of sense from a Barcelona perspective. Lewandowski still carries a huge load in this team, and with bigger matches still ahead, Flick cannot afford to burn him out in every league fixture. Ferran, for all his recent struggles, remains one of the few natural alternatives who can lead the line.

The challenge, of course, is confidence. Ferran has not been finding the net with the same regularity as earlier this season, and when that happens, every start begins to feel like a test rather than an opportunity. But this is exactly the kind of match in which Barca need him to respond.

Rayo are awkward opponents: intense, aggressive and usually ready to turn games into a battle. That can be difficult for a forward out of form, but it can also create the kind of scrappy chances that help end a drought. One goal can change the whole mood around a striker.

What Ferran adds is intense pressing and running. It often takes just one good game for a striker to snap back into form, and it remains to be seen whether Rayo at home proves to be the turning point for the Shark for the rest of the season.