Carlos Espí brings classic No 9 edge to a new-look Bernabéu | OneFootball

The new-look Santiago Bernabéu meets a fanbase that still cherishes the classic centre-forward, and Carlos Espí is the latest focal point.

According to AS, the stadium is wrapped in metallic cladding and topped by a 360-degree screen, yet the crowd remains resolutely traditional.

Madridistas roared through Joselu’s 18 goals in 2023-24, including two in the Champions League semi-finals to reach London, and now await Espí’s say on the pitch.

Spanish, 194 centimetres and 88 kilos, he used that frame in pre-season against Ferencvaros and Schalke, then in Barcelona subdued Espanyol on the team’s official debut with a deft, three-touch finish that recalled Mijatovic.

For 25 million, Madrid again have an area poacher to roam for scraps, and he has already shown he can make things happen.

His Bernabéu unveiling comes tonight, and he says he is eager to feel the stadium’s atmosphere and step on the turf. Logic suggests he starts on the bench, although after Barcelona nothing is certain. Mou has described him as fun, hard-working and living a dream in Valdebebas, and says the team need a profile like his in many games.

Source: AS

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