Torres mask can’t slip in Chelsea’s Cup pursuit
LONDON: Chelsea are in the last chance saloon as far as a trophy goes and Fernando Torres, complete with his “Mask of Zorro”, must continue his recent improvement in swashbuckling style in tonight’s Europa League semi-finals.
Fenerbahce welcome Benfica in their first leg while European champions Chelsea face a tricky trip to Basel without the cup-tied Demba Ba, meaning fellow striker Torres will take up the fight as they chase Europe’s second prize.
Unpopular interim coach Rafael Benitez is left with the Europa League as his only hope of quitting in May with a modicum of pride restored and Spanish compatriot Torres, still playing with a mask to protect a broken nose, feels upbeat.
“We have a young squad and we need to learn winning ways and this is a very good way. It is not the Champions League but it is the Europa League,” Torres told www.uefa.com.
“Now we’re in the semi-finals everyone can see we want to win and the team I think is happy.
“The competition is helping the team a lot because it is giving us a lot of satisfaction – not like in the Premier League this season, and we lost the semi-final of the FA Cup, so we were also close. But the Europa League is keeping us in a good mood and thinking it could be a good season.”
To r r e s , who has struggled for sustained form since joining Chelsea in 2011, was highly impressive in the last round when he scored three goals in the two legs against Rubin Kazan.
His improved confidence has even led pundits to say he should stick with the mask until the end of the season, some comparing it to a “comfort blanket” he can hide behind.
However, he laboured against former club Liverpool in Sunday’s 2-2 Premier League draw.
John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Gary Cahill, Victor Moses and Yossi Benayoun were all left out of the starting XI at Anfield but are likely to return tonight.
Basel have reached a European semi-final for the first time and Chelsea will be wary after the Swiss team confidently dispatched London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the last eight.
The Swiss club are the only domestic champions among the Europa League last four and have played more European matches this season (18) than any other surviving team, having begun their campaign in the Champions League second qualifying round.
Twice European champions Benfica travel to Istanbul after a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Lisbon rivals Sporting on Sunday kept them top of the domestic league.
It was the Eagles’s eighth consecutive league win as their attacking firepower has brought them close to a memorable treble of league, cup and Europa League.
One of the main Benfica threats on tonight will be skilful Argentinian winger Nicolas Gaitan who stood out on Sunday with two assists and a manof-the-match performance.
Fenerbahce’s chances of the title were hit on Sunday when they lost their first game in 11 matches, going down 2-0 at Genclerbirligi to slip seven points behind leaders Galatasaray.
The second legs are on May 2. – Reuters