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Endrick celebrates the goal he scored against Celta in extra time. Reuters
Endrick and Valverde Rescue Real Madrid from Apathy

Endrick and Valverde Rescue Real Madrid from Apathy

A brace from the young forward and a thunderous strike from the midfielder in extra time secure a place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals for the Whites, keeping Ancelotti's hopes alive.

Óscar Bellot

Madrid

Viernes, 17 de enero 2025, 00:20

No rest for Real Madrid as they endure another scare. Forced into extra time by a glaring error from Camavinga and a reckless move by Asencio, just when they seemed to have the match under control thanks to goals from Mbappé and Vinicius. Carlo Ancelotti's team narrowly avoided another disaster on Thursday against Celta after goals from Bamba and Marcos Alonso revived the Vigo side, once again displaying a significant apathy that only dissipated when they found themselves on the brink.

Endrick and Valverde's goals in extra time sealed the Whites' passage to the quarter-finals. However, instead of the strong reaction their coach pleaded for after the Supercopa de España debacle, they succumbed to nerves, showing both alarming defensive disarray and an even more concerning lack of leadership, resulting in another deserved scare. They lack football, order, and commitment. Only the epic, embodied this time by the episodic Endrick and the recurring Valverde, kept them alive in a Copa del Rey that offers little solace to a team unable to correct itself except when faced with imminent danger.

Real Madrid approached the match under a state of emergency, flirting with a severe condemnation. Tired of shielding his players, Ancelotti made more than half a dozen changes from the team that faltered against Barça in the Supercopa, reinstated the 4-3-3 formation he had recently sidelined, relied on Modric and Ceballos for balance, and restored Tchouaméni to the midfield in a more rational setup.

The boos for Carletto before the match and the jeers Tchouaméni received every time he touched the ball reflected the tense mood of a crowd unforgiving of the poor performances in the classics. The match was a summary trial, both individual and collective, and Real Madrid only won the court's favour thanks to the result.

Celta threatened early with a shot off the crossbar by Starfelt, offering new arguments for a harsh verdict, but Real Madrid prevailed, gradually presenting their case. With less muscle in midfield, Ancelotti's team improved their play but showed little bite until a controversial incident came to their aid. From a possible foul by Lunin on Swedberg, it turned into a stunning goal by Mbappé, who finished his run through his favourite hunting ground with an unstoppable shot while Celta protested in vain for a supposed penalty that neither Munuera Montero nor VAR acknowledged. "All Ok, José Luis," the referee from Jaén must have heard, amid suspicions from both sides.

The Bondy prodigy dispelled ghosts on the counterattack at the end of the first half and was decisive again in the second half, initiating a triangulation with Brahim and Vinicius, which the Brazilian finished masterfully to break a goal drought that had lasted nearly a month. But despite the setback, Celta maintained faith, capitalising on Real Madrid's failure to seal the game with goals from Bamba and Marcos Alonso, plunging Real Madrid into chaos and bringing them to the brink, from which they only emerged with great difficulty, almost miraculously, and as often happens with the Whites, inexplicably.

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todoalicante Endrick and Valverde Rescue Real Madrid from Apathy