"Most fraudulent transfer of all time", "He is not good enough" - Real Madrid fans slam attacker for 'poor' performance in 2-1 loss to Barcelona
Fans have criticized Endrick on X after he failed to make an impact during Real Madrid's 2-1 defeat against Barcelona. The two LaLiga giants faced each other in a pre-season friendly at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday, August 3.
Los Blancos suffered their second defeat in as many matches following their pre-season opening 1-0 loss to AC Milan earlier this week. They were unable to fare much better against rivals Barcelona as Pau Victor scored a brace (42', 54') to give the latter a dominant lead. Nico Paz scored in the 82nd minute to half the deficit but it wasn't enough to inspire a late comeback.
New Real Madrid signing Endrick was entrusted to lead the line for his second game since signing a six-year deal at the club on July 27. However, the 18-year-old struggled during his 67 minutes on the pitch, landing zero shots on target from just one attempt. In addition, he failed to complete any of his three dribbles and lost four duels.
One fan was displeased by his performance as he posted:
"Most fraudulent transfers of all time."
Another fan tweeted:
"He is not good enough, couldnt find his space, bad positioning."
Check out other fan reactions below:
"Poor performance," one fan gave his verdict.
"Everyone is talking about him. What you don’t realize is that he’s only had like 75ish minutes and they are preseason friendlies. He’s missing the world class talents that fill out starting 11 sorry but Mario Martin ain’t Valverde. Ardas great but no Rodrygo," one fan defended Endrick.
"Washed player," another chimed in.
"This guy is another Antony," one fan claimed.
"When has it ever been his night ever since the England game he hasn't been convincing," another added.
"We take advantage of these matches" - Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti gives his verdict after 2-1 defeat to Barcelona
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has underplayed his side's 2-1 loss to Barcelona. He instead focused on Los Blancos' preparation for the upcoming season, highlighting the importance of the squad getting more minutes on the pitch.
While the possession between Los Blancos and Barcelona were evenly divided at 50 percent, the latter looked much more threatening in attack. The Blaugrana landed 11 shots in total with six being on target, missing three big chances in the process. Meanwhile, Real Madrid also mustered 11 shots but only three were on target.
During the post-match press conference, Ancelotti said (via Managing Madrid):
“It was a game with good intensity and good plays. Obviously, we continue our line of preparation, little by little the players are coming back. We take advantage of these matches to give minutes and we continue."
He also responded when asked about his side losing both their games this summer:
“The objective now is to give minutes and get the returning players fit. We are not thinking about the tactical issue or other things, just to get the players who are working now in a good condition. On a tactical level we will work from day seven.”
Real Madrid next face Chelsea in a friendly on Tuesday, August 6.