BARÇA v ATLETICO TICKETS: Thursday, December 21, 2006, 22′00 h. Jet lag and Torres to cause Barga concern

By the time that FC Barcelona return from the trip to the Far East they maybe playing catch-up in the league and will be hoping to round off what has been an incredible year by staying in contention.
The problems that have, reportedly, come from the gruelling pre-season tour have raised questions about what the knock-on effects of the club’s appearance in the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan will be.
While there is no doubt that the competition in the Land of the Rising Sun is prestigious and worth all the time and effort given that it is the only major trophy that the Blaugrana have never won, it could have serious, adverse repercussions. The upside is the fact that after playing Atletico, Frank Rijkaard’s squad have two weeks off to rest and recuperate before resuming their battle at the top of the table with Sevilla and Real Madrid.
After the achievements of the past 12 months it would be a real shame should Barca not leave 2006 behind with a resounding home victory. The reigning league and European champions are currently unbeaten in Camp Nou and have only dropped two points from their seven league outings. The thing, and it really is quite a big thing, is that Atletico de Madrid were the only team to secure all three points from their visit to Barca last season.
Even more than that though, the victory ensured that they recorded the double over the Blaugrana having already beaten them in the Vicente Calderon earlier in the campaign. Barcelona’s defeat at home was followed by a loss in their following game at Valencia and saw talk of a crisis at the club.
That may seem laughable now, given the outcome of last season, but it should be a shrill warning.
Fernando Torres (pictured below) is highly-rated by journalists when it comes to linking him with other clubs and he is spoken about in revered terms by pundits and players alike, but the stark fact is that he is struggling to fulfill his potential. One of the few times in every season that the young striker really turns on the style is against Barca, as his three goals in the two games last term proves.
In the summer, los Colchoneros stayed true to form and had a major regorganisation of their squad and brought in a new coach, in the shape of Javier Aguirre, in the hope that this season will finally see them back up near the top. Despite being somewhat inconsistent once again, Atleti are in fact in the top five and making a concerted effort to earn a place in Europe. It is their home form that is troublesome, because away the team have performed very well, winning four times, drawing twice and losing just once from their seven matches. All the ingredients are there for a stormer and Barca will Just have to hope that the jet lag has worn off in time.