Football News
“He owes me dinner”
Once again, Real Madrid's XXL bench proved its importance by delivering a crucial season-opening victory at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Recently we discussed the impressive quality of Real Madrid's 'B team', and this season again Ancelotti's 'super subs' are shaping up to be key players in Los Blancos' ambitious goals.
Brahim Diaz, who brilliantly finished the 2023-2024 season with 12 goals and 8 assists in all competitions, starts the 2024-2025 season on the same basis. On Matchday 2 against Real Valladolid, he scored a goal and provided an assist after coming on in the 69th minute, contributing to the 3-0 victory. His entry into play was decisive in a match where Real Madrid struggled to make the break.
As for Endrick, the young Brazilian nugget aged 18, he scored his first goal in the white jersey in the 96th minute, just 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute. Brahim Diaz, who congratulated him, joked: “He owes me dinner, he told me. I'm happy for him (laughs). He's a player who's always ready, with a positive spirit and hard work. He can shoot with both feet and he hits the ball with power.” The two players, who are getting to know each other on and off the pitch, had bet that the Brazilian would score on his debut.
Endrick explained: “I knew Militão was going to cross there because he does it a lot in training. I stood out, I saw the defender, the advanced goalkeeper, and I had the intuition to chip the ball.” He also acknowledged that the team had struggled to get going: “The start of the game was difficult for us, but in the second half we played with more rhythm, moving the ball from one side of the field to the other and looking for depth. Defensively, we played well as a team. I am very happy with this victory.”