On January 17th, Real Madrid faced Celta Vigo at the Bernabeu Stadium in the round of 16 of the King's Cup. Real Madrid, ranked second in La Liga, faced Celta Vigo, who were 12th. Real Madrid was unable to end the match within 90 minutes, with goals from Mbappe and Vinicius, while Celta Vigo's Bamba and Alonso scored, leading to extra time with Real Madrid ahead 2-0. Fortunately, Endrick scored twice, and Valverde's world-class goal helped Real Madrid advance. Real Madrid has found a treasure with a 5-2 victory! The 18-year-old star shone in extra time, possessing qualities similar to Cristiano Ronaldo, relieving Coach Ancelotti's urgent need.
Real Madrid is the last team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the King's Cup, with other teams including Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Getafe, Leganes, Osasuna, and Real Sociedad. The specific matchups for the quarter-finals will be determined by a draw. Since the 13-14 season, Real Madrid has won six Champions League titles but only two King's Cups, not being particularly competitive in this event. This season, they will once again aim for the King's Cup title.
Real Madrid had to go through extra time to eliminate Celta Vigo, playing an additional 30 minutes. However, this also provided more playing time and opportunities for substitute players, especially Endrick, who seized the valuable opportunity to prove his abilities in the game. In extra time, Endrick scored the leading goal for Real Madrid, receiving a pass from Juler in the 108th minute, stopping the ball on the edge of the penalty area, turning around, and shooting powerfully into the net.
In the 119th minute, Endrick scored another goal, with Juler once again setting up Endrick. His precise corner kick found Endrick, who, facing away from the goal, cleverly backheeled the shot, catching Celta Vigo's goalkeeper Villar off guard, going through Villar's legs, and breaking into the Celta Vigo goal. Endrick has played 17 times for Real Madrid this season, starting only twice, but he has already scored four goals, showing remarkable performance.
Endrick's characteristics are now very clear. His first major trait is his excellent shooting technique, with a small leg swing but powerful shots, and strong ability to adjust his shots, always finding opportunities to shoot. Another point is Endrick's strong desire to win; the young man is very energetic, has impact, and is passionate and excited in the game, which is somewhat reminiscent of Ronaldo.
Mbappe habitually moves to the left, and Real Madrid is short of center forwards this season, causing some trouble for Coach Ancelotti. However, Endrick could be a good choice. Romario and Aguero were both small center forwards, and Endrick, standing at 1.73 meters tall, also has the potential to become an excellent center forward and shooter. Giving Endrick more time to improve, he has a promising future in football.