Real Madrid forward Endrick he praised his friend Antonio Rüdiger for guiding him through a goal drought and sacrificing his brace theirs is 5-2 King’s Cup to win Celta Vigo defenders on Thursday.
Madrid survived a last-16 scare at the Santiago Bernabéu as Celta made it 2-0 in the 91st minute before the hosts scored three goals – two of them Brazil international – in extra time.
Endrick, 18, started the season brilliantly, opening his account in LaLiga and the Champions League, but has not found the back of the net since September 17 and has played just 83 minutes in the league in total this campaign.
“I work every day,” Endrick told Real Madrid TV. “My two goals are for Antonio Rüdiger. He knows what he does for me every day. He never praises me and that’s good! He tells me what to do, shoot, run and keep fighting. Yesterday at training he gave me a difficult match. I thought about it for myself and she is a wonderful person. Those are goals for him.
Endrick’s first goal came from a pass from outside the box, which the teenager celebrated by tearing his shirt, and his second goal was a quick backheel into the box from the six-yard box.
“[The first] was a very important goal for me,” said Endrick when asked about this grand celebration. “This is my job. I have to do well for the team, score goals and do whatever. To score a goal for Madrid, for these fans, players and staff, is truly something great. In the last Copa match I wasted the chances I had. Today I had two chances and I scored.
Thanks to the Cup victory, Madrid recovered from a 5-2 defeat Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Captain Lucas Vazquez said the performance, which came after coach Carlo Ancelotti rested key players, including: Judy Bellingham and Fede Valverde showed Madrid’s strength in depth.
“Endrick did well with the minutes he had,” Vazquez said. “It shows the quality of this squad. We made changes and the team did well, whoever plays delivers.”
Ancelotti was asked about whistles from some fans at the Bernabéu on behalf of some of his players, including the midfielder. Aurélien Tchouaméni.
“It’s a wake-up call from the fans to the players and the coach,” Ancelotti said. “It’s acceptable considering what happened against Barcelona. The team responded well, especially Tchouameni, who played a great match.”
