Fernando Torres has been a topic of scorn and ridicule for months. His inconsistent form forced Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez to sign Demba Ba during the January transfer to find a potential replacement for the striker. He was also left out of the Spanish national side during World Cup qualifiers despite being favored by manager Vicente Del Bosque in past competitions.
However, Torres gave Chelsea fans a tremendous performance on Thursday in the first leg of the Europa league quarterfinals 2013 by scoring a double and helping Chelsea secure a 3-1 victory over Russian side Rubin Kazan.
Torres scored his first tally when received a solid pass into the area. His first touch was a bit sloppy, but he was able to push the ball into the net to give Chelsea a 1-0 win. In the 70th minute he added his second tally.
"It's good for his confidence," Benitez said. "His work-rate was really good. I'm pleased for him. I have said before, he's training well. It was a question of time. He scored two goals today and hopefully it will be the same in the next game."
Captain John Terry was happy with his team's performance as well. "It was a good job. We were in control - 3-1 is not bad, but could be better," he said.
Terry had a handball in the match that afforded a penalty for Rubin Kazan and gave them the much needed away goal. "It (the penalty decision) was harsh, but these decisions you have to carry on and get third goal. We did it and we were hoping for a fourth goal," Said Terry. "We didn't have any problems and then created our own problem. I think we have enough quality for the second leg. It will be more difficult. They will be attacking more but I think we have the quality."
The next leg takes place next Thursday April 11.