Rafael Benitez pleased with Fernando Torres after Europa win

March 15, 2013

Rafael Benitez: Pleased with Fernando Torres

Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez believes Fernando Torres has fresh confidence, despite his penalty miss in the Europa League victory over Steaua Bucharest.

Torres scored the crucial third goal as Chelsea's 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge secured a 3-2 aggregate win to send them into the quarter-finals.
Juan Mata and recalled captain John Terry had earlier scored against the Romanian side, but Torres was unable to add a fourth with a penalty as his spot-kick hit the crossbar.
But Benitez insisted he was pleased that the striker was prepared to assume penalty duties.
"He has confidence now and he can take the responsibility," said Benitez, who revealed Torres was one of three possible penalty takers.
"We are quite pleased because he was taking the responsibility.
"It's good. He scored and after he had more confidence and that is positive for the team and positive for him for the future."
Torres' strike was only his second goal in 20 games, but Benitez hopes it will spark a goalscoring run in the closing months of the campaign.
"It (the goal) was important for him," he said.
"It was important - the main thing - for the team. We knew he was working really hard, he was training really well.
"Two days ago he was scoring a lot of goals in training. We knew he was close. Hopefully it will be the first of a lot."