Ancelotti, on Endrick’s minutes at Real Madrid
Coach is asked about the playing time of the Brazilian striker, who came on at the end of the game against Espanyol and suffered a penalty
Real Madrid thrashed Espanyol 4-1 in a beautiful comeback in the sixth round of the Spanish Championship and the match was highlighted by the Brazilians in the star-studded squad. In addition to Vini Jr. and Rodrygo, who scored, Endrick was the standout once again.
Replacing Bellingham in the 82nd minute, the 18-year-old forward played on the right flank and was awarded a penalty after being held back by the opposition’s left-back. The move drew attention to Endrick’s strength, as he began to be pulled close to the byline and withstood the opposition’s foul until he invaded the area.
After the game, Carlo Ancelotti was asked about Endrick’s playing time. According to Real Madrid’s own statistics , the youngster played less than 45 minutes in the Merengue shirt. The coach justified his choices.
— On the one hand, yes (he deserves more minutes), because he is coming on well, with a lot of quality. On the other hand, we have Vinicicius, Rodrygo and Mbappé. He needs to be a bit patient (to play for longer) — said Ancelotti, after the game.
Official statistics do not count Endrick’s penalty as a direct contribution to a goal, but in his short time on the pitch, the Brazilian has already scored twice and has played in the last six games. In Saturday’s game, Vini Jr. was rested due to the schedule and Güler was chosen to replace him.
Given the criticism from Real Madrid’s players about the schedule, it is likely that other players in the squad will be rested in the upcoming games. This increases the chance of Endrick starting for the first time. Real Madrid returns to action on Tuesday, when they face Deportivo Alavés at home, in the seventh round of the Spanish Championship.
