- 23 hours ago
Real Madrid wonderkid STARS in title win
Tom Weber
- 10 Apr 2023 11:46 BST
- 4 min read
Real Madrid-bound Endrick Felipe silenced his doubters in Palmeiras' emphatic 4-0 victory over Agua Santa.
The 16-year-old has come under intense scrutiny ever since his €35 million move to Real Madrid was confirmed. The precocious attacker was criticised after going the regular season of the Paulista A1, the highest division in the state of Sao Paulo, without finding the back of the net, but he eventually showed that he is a performer for the big occasion.
Endrick scored Palmeiras' consolation goal in their 2-1 first-leg defeat to Agua Santa in the opener of the Paulista A1 final series. With the pressure on for the return fixture, the 16-year-old and his teammates stepped up big time.
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The Brazilian giants started like a house on fire and got the deserved breakthrough after a quarter of an hour. Gabriel Menino quickly overturned Agua Santa's first-leg advantage with a 12-minute brace. His second goal, in particular, was a work of art because of Dudu's insane skill in the build-up - Palmeiras' number seven was unplayable on the day.
DUDU, VOCÊ É RIDÍCULO pic.twitter.com/OmaT2OxZg4
— wallefez | 🏆🏆🏆 (@wallefez) April 9, 2023
What did Endrick do?
After Gabriel Menino's double, Endrick got himself on the scoresheet as well, showing his poaching qualities and speed of thought. With Rony barreling down on goal from the right, Endrick made a darting run into the centre of the box to convert the rebound after his teammate's shot was saved in the 34th minute.
Agua Santa had a man sent off a few moments later and Palmeiras easily cruised to victory, scoring another goal in the second half to win their 25th Paulista A1 title.
Endrick: “Criticism that it was too early to start me in the 1st team? I always take criticism on board”. ⭐️🇧🇷
“I have 3 senior trophies now, with a goal in the final… maybe I’m ready to start for U20s”.
⚪️ Real Madrid, very happy with the deal and convinced he’s top talent. pic.twitter.com/yYCLBTXtzG— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 10, 2023
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Real Madrid fans will be heartened by Endrick's strong showings over the two legs, and they will be hoping that he can really kick on from here before his 2024 move. Though they should also remember that he is still only 16 and that too much pressure on such a young player can prove detrimental in the long run.
