He's the man: David Luiz (right) celebrates with Torres
after his opener
The £50million Spanish striker drew another blank last night to
extend his woeful scoring record to just one in 23 games in a
Chelsea shirt.
But Torres the provider was a different story altogether as he
set up David Luiz and Juan Mata for the goals which broke the
Germans' resistance.
The former Liverpool man had brought huge pressure on himself
with a much publicised interview in which he criticised his team
for being too old and too slow.
Torres, 27, wants quicker players around him and he hailed the
arrival of Mata as an example of a signing he believed would bring
the best out of him.
Manager Andre Villas-Boas decided to see if his actions could
back up his words.
The boss paired Mata and livewire Daniel Sturridge as the
support act to Torres while dispensing with some of the old
guard.
Of the over-30s club, skipper John Terry was omitted from the
squad altogether, while Frank Lampard and Nicolas Anelka were left
on the bench.
It was a pragmatic decision with one eye on Chelsea's big
Premier League visit to Manchester United on Sunday.
But the Blues only took the game by the scruff of the neck when
Lampard and Anelka joined the action midway through the second
half.
This was Villas-Boas' first Champions League match as a manager.
But his team selection suggested he regards domestic matters as the
priority — whatever the desire of owner Roman Abramovich to land
Europe's biggest prize.
