Gabriel Jesus verdict reached after 37 minutes for Barcelona
Spanish media and Barcelona fans have already made up their minds about Gabriel Jesus following his summer move from Arsenal.
Jesus signed for Barcelona for a reported £8.6million, and it hasn’t taken long for the South American to make an impact at Camp Nou.
Despite not scoring on his La Liga debut as Barca beat Valencia 5-0 on September 6, Jesus netted his first goal for the Catalans three days later, with the side beating Feyenoord 5-1 in their Champions League group-phase opener.
On Wednesday (September 16), the forward was among the goals once again as Hansi Flick’s side romped to a convincing 7-2 victory over Racing Santander.
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João Cancelo opened the scoring after eight minutes before Raphinha netted his first and Barca’s second of the evening in the 25th minute.
The away side pulled one back thanks to Maguette Gueye, but it didn’t take long for the La Liga leaders to restore their two-goal buffer when Asier Villalibre’s own goal made it 3-1 in the 36th minute.
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Raphinha added his second and Barca’s fourth in the 42nd minute. Santander made it 4-2 in the 65th minute through Yassir Zabiri before the Brazilian completed his hat-trick and, in doing so, made it 5-2 two minutes later.
Jesus’ first-time finish made it 6-2 before Lamine Yamal completed the rout with one minute to go.
Barcelona fans offer Gabriel Jesus verdict
While Raphinha received most of the plaudits for his dazzling display, Barcelona fans also praised Jesus for his cameo.
One fan said: “It’s already looking like very good business for Barcelona with Gabriel Jesus. But Barça, if you’re planning to go unbeaten, just tell us in advance.”
Another added: “Very happy with Gabi Jesus. He will succeed with Barca. With his injury and physicality, it is better for him to play for Barca. Less hard game and more technical.”
A third commented: “Can we talk about Gabriel Jesus’ goal? You can just tell he’s a proper CF. The movement, composure, and finish were absolutely brilliant. What a goal!”
Spanish media make up mind on Gabriel Jesus
Meanwhile, Spanish media outlets also gave their take, with Barca Universal giving Jesus a 7.5/10 rating for his showing.
“Came on to replace the hat-trick hero and scored a sensational goal into the top corner, hitting Lamine Yamal’s assist first-time with a great strike,” the outlet wrote.
Mundo Deportivo also praised the forward: “Just like against Feyenoord, he showed he needs very little to score. A great first-time finish after a Lamine pass made it 6-2," they added.
Diario AS offered a similar take, with the outlet backing Jesus to become an “important player” this term as Barca look to win their third consecutive La Liga title.
AS wrote: “His scoring rate is, for now, hard to argue with. Two goals in 37 minutes means a goal every 18.5 minutes. It's still too early to draw conclusions, but it's clear he's joined the team hungry and ready to fight to become an important player. Furthermore, he has characteristics that are a perfect fit for Flick's Barça: great mobility, pressing ability, link-up play, versatility, and experience in big matches.
“Gabriel Jesus poses serious competition for all the team's strikers this season. His numbers serve as a stark warning to his teammates and a clear message to the manager.”
Barcelona return to action away at Sevilla on September 19.
Topics: Gabriel Jesus, FC Barcelona
Luke Davies