Barcelona forward Ferran Torres delivered a brilliant performance on Sunday, scoring twice in a convincing 3-0 victory over Getafe in La Liga. The win ensures the defending champions remain just two points behind leaders Real Madrid, who maintained their perfect record with victory over Espanyol the previous day.
The match, played at the 6,000-seater Johan Cruyff Stadium while renovations at the Camp Nou continue, saw Barcelona completely outclass their opponents. Getafe offered little in attack, relying instead on physical challenges that left the Catalans frustrated in the opening half. Despite the disruptions, Hansi Flick’s side showed composure and creativity to secure an important three points.
Torres, starting in place of Marcus Rashford—who was benched for reported disciplinary reasons—made the most of his opportunity. The Spaniard opened the scoring after a slick build-up play, finishing emphatically following a clever backheel assist from Dani Olmo. His second was even more impressive, a precise strike from outside the box after being played through by Raphinha.
The forward nearly completed a first-half hat-trick, rattling the crossbar with a fierce effort. However, Barcelona’s momentum was briefly overshadowed by a series of late tackles from Getafe, which particularly targeted defender Jules Kounde. Flick eventually withdrew Raphinha at half-time, replacing him with Rashford to prevent the Brazilian from risking a dismissal.
Getafe offered their only real threat early in the second half when Javi Munoz’s volley narrowly missed the target. Beyond that, it was one-way traffic. Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, made an immediate impact as he cut inside from the right and unselfishly squared the ball for Olmo, who calmly slotted home Barcelona’s third.
Rashford nearly added his name to the scoresheet, forcing Getafe goalkeeper David Soria into two fine saves—first at his near post and later in stoppage time. Despite his efforts, the England international remains in search of his first La Liga goal for the club. Torres, however, stole the spotlight with a display that underlined his determination to secure a more prominent role in Flick’s plans.
After the match, Torres voiced his frustration at Getafe’s rough approach but expressed satisfaction with the result. “A lot of the time, they don’t try to do anything apart from too many fouls, in my opinion, but we managed it well. The important thing is we got the three points,” he told DAZN. Meanwhile, Soria admitted his team struggled to create chances, conceding, “We weren’t able to create virtually anything.”
The victory keeps Barcelona firmly in contention at the top of the table as they prepare to visit promoted side Real Oviedo on Thursday. Real Madrid, meanwhile, travel to face Levante on Tuesday, keeping the early-season title race finely poised.
