Real Madrid have already signed Europe’s most exciting forward

This Sunday, after the conclusion of the ‘Olympic’ match between Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais, one of the most disappointed by the 3-2 result was undoubtedly Endrick. The Brazilian gave his all on the pitch, providing two assists and causing havoc in the Marseille defense, but ultimately went home empty-handed. His performance confirms that he is a truly special talent, one that has not gone unnoticed in France.

“Endrick did everything right, but he lacked the finishing touch,” L’Équipe points out. The French newspaper rated his performance a 7, lamenting his failure to find the net after two brilliant plays that could have resulted in one of the goals of the season. The first, in the 6th minute, was a spectacular bicycle kick that Rulli saved with an almost impossible stop. The second, in the 20th minute, came after a trademark thunderous run in which he left four opponents in his wake, and only his eagerness to embellish the play even further with a chip prevented him from scoring an unforgettable goal.

Endrick made it clear at the Vélodrome that he can no longer play stuck on the right wing. He feels most at home as a center forward, showcasing his prodigious change of pace and constantly taking on defenders near the penalty area. The two assists he provided against Marseille confirm this. With these two decisive passes, the Real Madrid loanee has now registered eight goal contributions in eight matches since arriving in France in January (6 goals and 2 assists), numbers that demonstrate his knack for making the difference.

“In a more central position than he usually occupies since his arrival at Olympique Lyonnais, Endrick was able to work more on the variety of his game and move beyond mere provocation to offer other options. More central to the action and more surrounded by defenders, he also had no problem holding his own in duels: he was even the Lyon player who contested the most duels on Sunday night (14),” describes L’Équipe.

‘Bobby’ could have finished the match with a memorable performance. Because, beyond his two assists, in the second half he created four clear scoring opportunities, a record for the game: a chipped pass to Tessmann that the midfielder squandered against Rulli; an excellent pass to Tolisso that didn’t count due to a marginal offside by the midfielder; a delicate piece of skill to Himbert that the striker wasted (who later scored after an assist from the Brazilian); and another chip, albeit more forced, after a 30-meter sprint in which he displayed the thunderous power he possesses in open space.

Endrick arrived in France to shine. And, so far, he’s doing just that. The striker confessed at his presentation as a new Olympique Lyonnais player that he wanted to bring a title to the historic French club, which hasn’t added a trophy to its cabinet for 14 years. On Thursday, he’ll face the first ‘final’ of the season, in the French Cup quarterfinals against Lens. And then comes the Europa League round of 16 against Celta Vigo. These two matches will undoubtedly be the barometer that will clarify whether his loan, which ends in June, has been a success or a disappointment.

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