Finishing - It's a toss-up here, because both men can put the ball in the back of the net with relative ease. Let's call this one a tie and move on to other stuff.
ADVANTAGE: NEITHER
Strength - Look, Fernando Torres is a big strong boy, and he's put on 25 pounds of muscle since coming to Anfield. He's outmuscled Nemanja Vidic, for crying out loud. Here's the thing: he doesn't throw his weight around as much as he could. He's strong, but he's not used to it, and he doesn't use it. His effective strength is therefore diminished. Drogba seems like he popped out of the womb with the strength of an ox, and he shows it every game by holding off defenders. See the second goal against Liverpool? He set up Malouda by going through two defenders, one of whom was Jamie Carragher. He knows what he's doing.
ADVANTAGE: DROGBA
Speed - This one is a no-brainer. Drogba can turn on the jets when you least expect, and his raw power is just unstoppable. Unfortunately for him, Fernando Torres is a blur of motion outside your vision, and he just blazes by defenders in a red streak of dust.
ADVANTAGE: TORRES
Shooting - Torres and Drogba can both wail on the ball, that's for sure. Big guys deliver big boots, but the question is accuracy and the decision to use it well. This is where Drogba shines. I personally saw him pull out a 30 yard screamer against AC Milan in July, and he can frequently shoot from distance with remarkable accuracy. Torres had that wondergoal against Blackburn, but he does his work inside of the box. When you take into account Drogba's set piece ability, this one is an easy call.
ADVANTAGE: DROGBA
Teamplay - Drogba and Torres both play in the same position for their team, that of the lone striker as the target man. Both teams push the ball up to them and rely on them to produce. Whereas Torres scores goals on his own when given the ball, Drogba holds it up for the rest of the team to benefit. When you consider Drogba's crossing ability, combined with his willingness to defend at the other end of the pitch, you know who's the obvious favorite here.
ADVANTAGE: DROGBA
The Bitch Factor - Drogba tends to fall over with relative ease and frightening frequency. Torres has phenomenal balance but has been known to flop around a bit, making a case for a penalty. However, when you consider their historically lowest moments, you have to give this one to the guy who a) fell over when Jens Lehmann chest bumped him, b) was ejected from a tournament final for SLAPPING A MAN IN THE FACE, and c) was so mad about a referee's call that he whined into the camera and got himself a 3 match ban. Yep, it's good old Didier.
ADVANTAGE: TORRES
Ball Control - Drogba can hold off a defender, dribble around them, and set up an inch-perfect cross to a teammate. Torres has virtually broken defenders' ankles with his stepovers, fakes, and sudden bursts of acceleration. However, all I need to see here was Torres' performance this season, and as of right now I'll give it to him. Check out his hattrick against Hull City.
ADVANTAGE: TORRES
Goalscoring - This one goes a bit beyond just finishing. Drogba has scored 100 goals in 224 appearances for Chelsea, which is a bit less than a goal every 2 games. Torres has scored 58 goals in 92 Liverpool appearances, averaging a bit more than a goal every 2 games. Torres clearly takes the cake there, but... when it comes to big games, Torres goes invisible. Drogba, on the other hand, can handle the pressure and he knows how to take care of business when the stakes are high. Their international records tell the real story: Drogs has 40 goals in 59 appearances, which averages 2 goals every 3 games. El Nino, on the other hand, only has 23 goals to his 68 appearances, averaging only 1 goal to every 3 games. When Liverpool need a savior, they turn to Stevie G, not Fernando T. For that reason, this one goes to Drogba.
ADVANTAGE: DROGBA
Drogba is not a highscoring forward. He's a team player and he makes everyone around him better by adding that powerful dynamicism up front. The reason Torres is so prolific is because he can absolutely RAPE lower level opposition. When it comes down to the Champion's League final, I'd rather have Drogba. Unless he decides to slap Vidic again.
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