Mundo Deportivo: Jesus Scores Almost Once Every Two Champions League Games, Hopes to Help Barcelona Achieve Their Dream

According to Mundo Deportivo, Jesus has scored 26 goals in 57 Champions League matches, meaning he has almost scored once every two games, showing a very high level of efficiency.

Barcelona have made targeted reinforcements this season, with the aim of continuing their dominance in domestic competitions (centered on La Liga) and becoming a strong Champions League contender again 12 years after their last title win. Jesus, Anthony Gordon, Adeyemi and Rodri all have top-level European experience, with only Rodri having won the Champions League. For the Brazilian Jesus, this has become an obsession.

Jesus joined Barcelona in order to overcome this regret. On the day of his presentation, he admitted: “Since I learned there was a chance to come to Barcelona, winning the Champions League has always been in my mind. It is a dream.” The player has lost two finals, one with Manchester City in 2021 and one with Arsenal this year. He hopes to achieve his goal this time.

Jesus still has to compete for the starting center-forward position, and teammate Raphinha also gives him significant competition pressure, but he has an important advantage: Champions League goals. He has scored 26 goals in 57 matches, meaning he has almost scored once every two games, with a very high efficiency.

This will be his 10th Champions League campaign. Previously, he played six times in the competition with Manchester City and four times with Arsenal. His best European performance came in the 2019/2020 season, when he scored six goals for the “Citizens.”

In addition, he already knows how to score against Feyenoord, Barcelona’s first Champions League opponent this Wednesday. That was his first Champions League goal, scored when Manchester City defeated Feyenoord 4-0 at De Kuip in 2017.

Gordon wants to do it again.

Anthony Gordon also has good European scoring numbers. In last season’s Champions League, he scored 10 goals, the same number as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Julian Alvarez, Barcelona’s top target for the No. 9 position. However, half of the 10 goals Gordon scored for Newcastle United came from penalties.

Meanwhile, although Adeyemi is not a traditional center-forward, he also has a good efficiency record, scoring 16 goals in 48 appearances for Borussia Dortmund.

Finally, there is Rodri, who has scored three Champions League goals in total, all for Manchester City. As a defensive midfielder, scoring is not his main responsibility, but he scored a priceless goal. That came in the 2022/2023 Champions League final, when he scored the winning goal for Guardiola’s team, helping Manchester City defeat Inter Milan 1-0 and lift the Champions League trophy.