Brazilian international Endrick set a new record as Real Madrid's youngest scorer in the Champions League on Tuesday. The 18-year-old striker netted a goal with a strike from beyond the box in the final moments of stoppage time, helping Madrid secure a 3-1 victory over Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu. At 18 years and 58 days, he broke the record previously held by former Real Madrid legend Raúl González, who was 18 years and 113 days old when he netted a hat trick during Madrid's 6-1 triumph over Ferencvárosi in 1995, as per UEFA.
Endrick sprinted down the field and had the choice to pass to either Kylian Mbappé or Vinícius Júnior, but opted for a low left-footed shot instead. Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel managed to get a hand on the ball, but couldn’t prevent it from finding the back of the net.
However, the defending champions faced challenges at the Santiago Bernabeu, as their German rivals carved out numerous chances throughout the match. Stuttgart concluded the game with 17 attempts on goal, seven of which were on target, and an expected goals (xG) value of 1.94, in contrast to Madrid's 2.61. Despite their efforts, they were denied by Thibaut Courtois, who made six crucial saves during the match.
Ancelotti expressed satisfaction with his team's performance to start their quest to retain the European title, but acknowledged that enhancements were necessary to clinch their 16th Champions League trophy.
"If anyone thinks that winning games is easy, they are wrong. I have coached more than 200 games in the Champions League and I can't remember a game without suffering'', Ancelotti told.
Endrick minimized the importance of his achievement, emphasizing his wish to contribute to the team over the course of his career.
“I’m very happy with my debut and to score my first Champions League goal, but above all, I’m happy to help Real Madrid, which is what I want,” he said in an interview with the club's media.