LONDON, Feb 6 — Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has still not decided whether British record signing Fernando Torres will start against his old club Liverpool in today's Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian is suddenly spoilt for choice in the forward department after the £50 million (RM242 million) acquisition of Torres and could even play the Spaniard with fellow strikers Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

"Fernando has the ability to play alone in front or with another player," Ancelotti told Chelsea's website (http://www.chelseafc.com) ahead of the clash between the fourth and seventh-placed teams in the Premier League.

"To play with another player you have to find the right combination, but he doesn't have a problem and Drogba doesn't have a problem to play with him.

"Last year we played with Drogba and Anelka, people were surprised they could play together, we had just one striker with two in the hole. There will be a little change and I think we will be able to manage this without a problem."

ANCELOTTI UNDECIDED

There is no agreement in place preventing Torres lining up against his team mates of less than a week ago but Ancelotti has not decided whether to play him from the start.

"He only trained two or three times this week, he doesn't have a problem to play against Liverpool, he has the knowledge and experience to manage this kind of game," he said.

"The only reason for me is just three days he trained with his team mates, just this."

Whether he plays or not Torres will not be involved in any badge kissing, declaring once again his love for his boyhood club Atletico Madrid.

"I never kissed the Liverpool badge," he said. "I did it when I was in Atletico. I loved Atletico, my former club.

"When you join a club you want to do the best for the club and yourself, some people want to kiss the badge, they can do it, but I only want to score goals.

"When I was born in Madrid I was not a Liverpool fan, I was not a Chelsea fan, I only was an Atletico Madrid fan, and I am an Atletico Madrid fan." — Reuters

 

MADRID, Feb 6 — Lionel Messi's brilliant hat-trick fired Barcelona to a 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid yesterday that set a record for consecutive La Liga victories of 16 and stretched their lead over Real Madrid at the top to 10 points.

The Argentine World Player of the Year struck twice in 12 first-half minutes and again in the 79th to move two goals clear of Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the La Liga scoring chart with 24 goals.

The victory lifted the champions to 61 points from 22 matches and beat the previous best for straight league wins set by Alfredo Di Stefano's Real in the 1960-61 season.

Real, who suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Osasuna last weekend, can trim the gap back to seven with a win over promoted Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Sunday (today at 1800).

Atletico were looking for a morale-boosting result at the Nou Camp that would keep their hopes of European qualification alive but any prospects of derailing the Barca express were effectively snuffed out by two moments of Messi magic.

His first goal in the 17th minute was a trademark dash in from the right wing and he left several opponents trailing before arrowing a low shot past David De Gea.

MEMORABLE TREBLE

Spain striker David Villa slipped the ball through for Messi to score his second in the 29th. Atletico captain Antonio Lopez got a foot to the ball but Messi dashed clear and clipped a shot in off the right-hand post from close range.

The 23-year-old had a powerful header acrobatically saved by De Gea before he beat Diego Godin to the ball to prod it over the line and complete a memorable treble.

"I am happy with the win against a tough team who are not going through the best time and that could have made things hard for us," Messi told Spanish television.

"I am not thinking about being league top scorer at all," he added. "The important thing is that we continue this winning run as we have Real Madrid just behind us and we know they will fight to the end."

Villarreal earlier squandered a chance to trim the gap to Real to three points and lost their unbeaten home record when they slumped to a 1-0 defeat against promoted Levante.

The loss, their first in 12 home games this season, leaves them on 45 points from 22 matches, six behind Real and four ahead of fourth-placed Valencia, who host promoted Hercules in Sunday's late kickoff (2000 GMT). — Reuters