Jesus would have started even if Kun had been fit
INJURY updates on Sergio Aguero were seen as being of key importance as City prepared to take on Real Madrid.
But Pep Guardiola hinted that the Blues legend might not have played even if he had recovered from the knee injury he picked up shortly after the Premier League re-start.
It was quickly forgotten that Aguero was an unused substitute when City won the first leg in February, while Gabriel Jesus scored one and forced a red card offence from Sergio Ramos in a man-of-the-match display.
With Aguero still having treatment in Barcelona this week, Jesus was at it again, setting up one and scoring the other in the 2-1 win on Friday night.
And Guardiola dropped a big hint that he would have started, regardless of Aguero’s fitness.
“This competition can punish you, we know from our experience, but Gab made his contribution, he’s the best guy for these situations,” he said.
“He’s the man of the match for these two games, he was decisive for us. He helped us when we suffered in the bad moments.”
Jesus bagged two goals and an assist across the two legs, but his work rate was a massive factor in City’s two wins.
Now he is scoring as well, his confidence up, Guardiola knows what an asset he has.
“Gabriel always helps us through more than goals but for a striker it is important to score,” he said. “Big players have to show in the biggest stages in the big games and he showed it twice against the kings of this competition.
“He made an incredible step forward to say, ‘here I am and I can win games for myself’.
“I think the most important thing is we didn’t make a mistake behind. In this competition when you make mistakes in behind they punish you a lot, and except for one from Ayme (Aymeric Laporte) in the middle and one pass to Benzema we were incredibly stable behind and this is so important.”