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Carlo Ancelotti said Endrick showed “courage” after the Real Madrid forward, 18, scored his first Champions League goal from distance — despite having Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé as passing options.
Endrick’s 95th minute strike sealed the 3-1 win for Madrid over Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabéu, after Mbappé opened the scoring, Deniz Undav levelled for the visitors and Antonio Rüdiger put Madrid back in front.
The Brazil international, on the counter-attack, could have played in either Vinícius or Mbappé, both unmarked, but opted instead to shoot from long-range, wrongfooting goalkeeper Alexander Nübel and becoming Madrid’s youngest Champions League scorer in team history.
“He has balls!” Ancelotti told Movistar, before expanding his answer in his post-match news conference. “Endrick had courage. It was the last move of the game. He was convinced he’d score. He went for the most difficult solution, but it went well.”
It’s been an eventful few days for Endrick, who married partner Gabriely Miranda this week.
“In these two days he’s shown himself to be brave, in every sense,” Ancelotti said.
“If he missed, they [Vinicius and Mbappé] would have killed him!” teammate Thibaut Courtois said. “But if he has the confidence to shoot, he has a super powerful shot. If he scores, everyone keeps quiet! He’s a boy with a lot of quality. It shows his personality.”
Mbappé found the net just 22 seconds into the second half for his first Champions League goal with Madrid, as the hosts scored straight from kickoff. The France captain now has five goals in seven games for Madrid.
“I can do more,” he told Movistar. “I know I’ll do more. In each game I feel better.”