Pep Guardiola has hailed Nico Gonzalez as the team’s mini Rodri after their 4-0 home win over Newcastle.
Gonzalez, who was brought in from Porto for a £50million fee in January, completed 100 of his 103 passes on Saturday afternoon and had 114 touches in all. His stellar debut also included four successful ground duels from as many attempts and one interception.
The midfielder is far from a like-for-like replacement for Rodri, who suffered an ACL injury in September, but his performance against the Magpies showed his importance to the team in his compatriot’s absence.
“We played very well, had good energy in the attack. Nico Gonzalez helped us a lot. I am very happy because we needed him. The last three months have been difficult.”
“He’s our mini Rodri! He’s special, he’s got pace and เว็บพนันออนไลน์ UFABET สมัครง่าย โปรโมชั่นมากมาย his time at Barcelona’s academy was all about the ball and positioning. He wants to succeed in the Premier League. He’s here to prove himself.”
“We always try, but sometimes we don’t. I’m very happy with the pace and intensity of the attack. Nico and (Abdugodir) Kusanov played very well. We have to win these games to qualify for the Champions League. We have to play like this to send our people home happy.”
On Omar Marmouch: “We knew he would score sooner or later. He has a good finish. Of course he has to improve, but now we have seen how he handles all the praise.”
On Erling Haaland: “I haven’t spoken to the doctor yet, but I was scared when he went down. Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems.”