Remember Endrick? His Lyon form should put Real Madrid & Brazil on red alert | OneFootball

The month of April saw PSG on the brink of reaching another Champions League final whilst firmly establishing a 6-point lead in the Ligue 1 title race, winning six out of their seven games in the process.

The one game they lost? At home to Endrick’s Lyon. The Brazilian stole the show as he scored and assisted in Lyon’s 2-1 win.

He lurked in behind the defence and smashed the opener in at the near post, breaking a solo-dance number in front of the PSG ultras in the process.

Endrick followed that up with a trivela cross that nearly led to a goal before exploiting his stocky build to win his duel with Vitinha and play a ball over the top to set up the second goal.

It was a performance that served as a reminder of why Real Madrid spent over €47million to sign him in December 2022, two months after making his senior debut.

Endrick was incorporated into Madrid’s squad in the summer of 2024 and had shown positive signs, as he scored in his La Liga and Champions League debuts.

On occasion, he was accused of making poor decisions when he would take shots from distance instead of passing to teammates in more advantageous positions.

In one instance, with Madrid 1-0 up away to rivals Atletico, Endrick found himself in a 1v1 situation with a defender and opted to have a go at goal instead of playing a safer pass to Jude Bellingham. Atletico ended up equalising and Real Madrid dropped two points.

He still managed to demonstrate his ability in front of goal, netting five times in the Copa del Rey, including in both legs of the semi-final. The fact that he only started four games in the two major competitions was not a sign of concern.

His seven goals were actually three more than Vinicius Jr had managed in his first season, so there was no reason why his playing time would not increase under Xabi Alonso. But it was not to be.

A muscular injury last May and a recurrence over the summer meant that his first game under Alonso was in November. He then made two more appearances before signing for Lyon at the start of the January window.

The 19-year-old has been showcasing the same confidence and ability that he had when he was still at Palmeiras.

When he was taking the Brasileirao by storm, he played mainly as a striker who collected the ball in the middle or drifted out wide and took on multiple defenders.

His striker instincts were on display right away, positioning himself in between the centre-backs, getting at the end of crosses and making runs in-behind the defence.

Add to that his raw physical power, pace and his Brazilian flair and you had the Selecao’s next big thing.

He became the youngest ever male scorer at Wembley when scoring against England in March 2024. Three days later, he scored a sizzling first-time volley against Spain, further adding to his future superstar status.

So despite his nine-month dry spell, he found the net in his first outing with Les Gones. His momentum carried on, assisting in his home debut and getting his first career hat-trick away to Metz.

In the latter game, those same instincts were on display as he poached two goals from inside the six-yard box.

He then shifted to the right wing in the second half, winning and dispatching a penalty in the process.

His confidence never wavered as he set foot in France, as he immediately boasted his sombrero flicks, nutmegs and trivelas while never hesitating to take on multiple players when dribbling.

Of his 37 shots, 43% have come from outside the box in Ligue 1 (Fotmob). This determination in front of goal was shown away to Celta Vigo in the Europa League, when he salvaged an equaliser in the 87th minute, as Endrick unleashed a low-drilled effort from the edge of the box that slipped past the goalkeeper.

He has appeared both as a striker in a front two and as a right-winger. When receiving the ball down the right channel, he aims to cut inside on his favourite left foot and either cross or shoot from distance.

In total, Endrick has recorded 14 goals and assists in all competitions, whilst also averaging just under two key passes per game in Ligue 1.

His indomitable spirit has not gone unnoticed, as Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti decided to recall him ahead of the March internationals.

If he is to continue this form, there is a good possibility that he might be part of Ancelotti’s 26-man squad heading into the World Cup.

As for his future in the Spanish capital, popular sports newspaper Diario AS has speculated that Endrick will have a more prominent role at Real Madrid from next season onward.

In the meantime, the Brazilian wonderkid has three games left for Lyon as they aim to reach Europe’s premier competition for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.

They currently sit joint third, one point above fifth place and thirteen points off leaders PSG.