Flick admits surprise at Gabriel Jesus impact as Barcelona striker builds early momentum

Jesus catching the eye

Hansi Flick admits he has been surprised by the impact Gabriel Jesus has made since joining Barcelona. The striker completed a reported €15m (£12.8m) move from Arsenal this summer, after four seasons at the Premier League club that ended with a league title.

Despite starting only one of his five appearances for Barça across all competitions, the 29-year-old has scored three goals. He netted in his only start, against Getafe last time out, when Raphinha was sidelined through a muscle problem. Jesus is in line for another start against Galatasaray on Tuesday.

"He's ready. Whether he plays, which we don't know yet, we'll decide after training. We're very happy with him. He's a bit of a surprise, we have to admit. His behaviour is fantastic and he's a great player."

- Hansi Flick

Flick on the challenge ahead

Flick also spoke about the opponent. "They have very good attackers and we have to adapt," he said. "We always have to adapt to the opponent and to what we need."

He praised the squad's mentality as well: "Many of these players are world champions, and we've seen that they're still hungry. It's difficult, but they're hungry. We have to work for our fans, for our families. It's difficult, and the road is long."

Historical head-to-head

Barcelona have won their last four away games against Turkish teams in European competition, the last three of which were at Galatasaray: 1-0 in March 2002, 2-0 in September 2002 and 2-1 in March 2022.