Raheem Sterling argued Gabriel Jesus should not be seen as just Sergio Aguero’s deputy as he insisted that Manchester City have two high-class strikers.
Brazil international Jesus can be overshadowed by City's record scorer but drew level with him on 23 goals this season with the decider in Friday's 2-1 win over Real Madrid.
Jesus also set up Sterling’s opener before going on to become the first player ever to score in two victories over Zinedine Zidane’s Real in the same season.
And Sterling led the praise for his fellow forward as he insisted Jesus is much more than just a replacement.
“He’s not a sub, we’ve got two great strikers at this club,” the Englishman said. “Both strikers score goals and when you play with either one of them you know what you expect from each of them. They are both top players in front of goal. You saw from Gabby his calmness in front of goal was brilliant.”
Pep Guardiola has invariably praised Jesus for his work rate off the ball and both of City’s goals at the Etihad Stadium stemmed from his willingness to press defenders.
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City v Real player ratings
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MANCHESTER CITY: Ederson – 8, Saved well in quick succession from Benzema and Hazard in the first half, and was in the right place to thwart Benzema again in the second. AFP -
Kyle Walker – 8, Blazed high and wide after one eye-catching maraud upfield in the first phase, and had another shot pawed away by Courtois in the second. Excellent in defence. PA -
Fernandinho – 8, Knocking on, aged 35, and out of position at centre back, yet still so reliable. Made one important block, and a variety of sound interceptions. AFP -
Aymeric Laporte – 7, Allowed Benzema to wriggle away from him in the first half, but Ederson spared him. Made an important block from the same man in the second half. Reuters -
Joao Cancelo – 6, Lapsed to let Rodrygo past him to set up Benzema for the leveller on the night. Will have been happy to see his opposite number go off. PA -
Rodrigo – 7, The former Atletico Madrid midfielder was steady enough on the ball, but had Laporte to thank after one error might have cost City. EPA -
Ilkay Gundogan – 8, Canny through-ball for De Bruyne was his high point in attack, while in defence he made a goalline block to deny Modric. AFP -
Phil Foden – 7, The young Englishman was so vibrant in City’s fast start, but had to give way for Bernardo Silva in the second half. AFP -
Kevin De Bruyne – 9.5, Sublime. So good, he started taking the mickey. Like when he shot from a corner and nearly scored - twice. EPA -
Raheem Sterling – 8, Will rarely score an easier goal than the one that gave City an early cushion in this leg. Impeccable until he was subbed with 10 to go. Reuters -
Gabriel Jesus – 9, Executed the high press to perfection when he robbed Varane for the opener, and finished brilliantly after another error by the same player later on. EPA -
Substitutes: Bernardo Silva – 6, On for Foden, and could have had a goal soon after – but might have been better off passing to De Bruyne instead of shooting. Reuters -
David Silva – 7, Came on for Sterling with 10 minutes left, and indulged in a personal game of keep-ball thereafter. AP -
Nicolas Otamendi – NA, Made a very late appearance for Rodrigo and City set about closing out the tie. AFP -
REAL MADRID: Thibault Courtois – 6, Awful with the ball at his feet. Dallying didn’t help for the opener, and was lucky not to give away another to De Bruyne, but still made some vital saves. Getty -
Dani Carvajal – 6, Made one crucial last-ditch tackle on De Bruyne to keep the tie alive in the second half. Lucky not to give away a penalty for a foul on Sterling. AP -
Eder Militao – 5, Although it was Varane who eventually gave the goal away, Militao was equally ponderous for City’s opener. EPA -
Raphael Varane – 3, Comically bad defending for Sterling’s opener, and botched again in the second half to donate Jesus City’s second goal. AP -
Ferland Mendy – 6, Stuck to his task, but Sterling made him work so hard, and he was unable to affect the game in the other direction. Getty -
Casemiro – 7, His brilliant tackle on Sterling gave Madrid a lifeline when the game would have been over early on. AP -
Luka Modric – 6, He was needed on the ball more often in more dangerous areas. Booked for a foul on De Bruyne, who was running rings around everyone by then. Getty -
Toni Kroos – 5, Looked like a shadow of his former self as he was schooled by De Bruyne in their top-billing midfield battle. EPA -
Rodrygo – 7, Waltzed past Cancelo and picked a fine cross for Benzema to get Madrid back in the tie. Unlucky to be subbed on the hour for Asencio. Reuters -
Karim Benzema – 8, Carried the fight when Madrid were up against it in the first half, and netted a brilliant header for the equaliser. Reuters -
Eden Hazard – 5, Looked a long way short of full sharpness and scarcely troubled the City backline. AP -
Substitutes: Marco Asensio – 6, Brought on for Rodyrgo, who had been one of Madrid’s two brightest attacking threats, and failed to prise an opening. AP -
Federico Valverde – NA, A late replacement for Modric as Zidane threw caution to the wind at the end, but to little effect. AFP -
Lucas Vazquez – NA, One of three men thrown on at once with the minutes ticking away, but inconspicuous when he was on. AFP -
Luka Jovic – NA, On for Hazard, but had no discernible effect on the play. EPA
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And Sterling added: “Against Real it was important to run our socks off and he’s always at the top of that list for doing that. He works for the team and always contributes. He’s been involved with both goals and I’m really pleased for him and happy we got the win.”
Sterling’s early goal was his 100th for City and made him just the sixth Englishman to score 20 times in the Champions League.
It puts him in elite company alongside Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Harry Kane.
He said: “It’s a good achievement but now I want some more in the next couple of games, to keep progressing. But the most important thing is my goals count for something and hopefully at the end of the competition they can do.”
City are waiting to discover if Aguero, who has not played since undergoing knee surgery in June, will be fit to feature as they head to Portugal for new knockout tournament to determine the Champions League, with one-legged quarter- and semi-finals.
“It’s a new format and it’s one we are ready for,” Sterling said. “All we can do now is go over there and run our socks off. That will make the difference and decide whether we progress or not.”
City face Lyon, the conquerors of Juventus, in Lisbon on Saturday. "They’re a great team and it’s going to be a difficult one,” Sterling added. “But I keep saying the same thing – there are teams in his competition with great quality. We have to keep up the energy and play our football.”
Jesus spoke of his dream of winning the Champions League and his delight in scoring to eliminate a team with Real’s pedigree.
“I felt pride,” he said. “Not just for the goal, obviously it's important, but pride for the opportunity of achieving my dream of playing this competition for this big club. There is also an extra pride for beating the kings of the Champions League.
“We have to dream. I'm a dreamer and can picture myself with the trophy on my hands. But I know the reality is different, we have to work, to show our dedication. To win is the most important thing. As a group, we have matured from being knocked out of the previous Champions League editions. We've learnt to suffer.”
