Gonzalo, Endrick 'frozen' at Real Madrid

Gonzalo has not been used much this season.

When Kylian Mbappe doesn't score, Real Madrid's entire attack seems to collapse. The French star has scored 18 of the team's 34 goals, accounting for nearly 53%, a figure that reflects a terrible level of dependence. Without him, Real falls silent.

Against Liverpool and Rayo Vallecano, Real were not only scoreless but also played so poorly that their expected goals were just 0.45 xG at Anfield and 0.8 xG at Vallecas. The play lacked energy, lacked finishing, and more importantly, lacked opportunities for those who could score.

At Vallecas, Xabi Alonso did not field either Gonzalo or Endrick. The only change was Rodrygo Goes for Brahim Diaz, a safe choice. But when “safety” leads to paralysis, the question must be asked: why did Real have two natural strikers and not use them?

Gonzalo was a phenomenon at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. He scored, assisted, and was hailed as the new discovery of the Castilla academy. He was given a contract extension, promoted to the first team, and was praised by Joselu himself: “He doesn’t give up and knows how to score goals.”

But that was the story of the summer. The season really began, and he slowly disappeared. After 12 games, Gonzalo had played just 108 minutes, 7.5% of the total. He still shone with two goals for the Under-21s, but at the Bernabeu, the door was almost closed.

Endrick has been on the bench a lot lately.

Endrick was worse. After returning from injury, he played just 11 minutes, all against Valencia. He was not used in the next 11 games. Even when Real were desperate for goals, he was only on the bench. Several sources said a loan deal was being considered, with Lyon being a potential destination for him to get more regular playing time.

The problem isn’t just Alonso’s lack of players. It’s the lack of a true striker. Against Rayo, Real had 21 crosses, but only four of them were on target – three of them from defenders. Since the start of the season, 217 crosses have resulted in just two goals, a rate of 0.9% – a dismal performance for a team that scored 20 headed goals in previous seasons. Joselu was the destination of every high ball. Now there is none.

Gonzalo has shown he can do it. Despite being 10cm shorter than Joselu, he can jump high, choose his landing well, and finish with flair. But at Real Madrid now, no one gives him a chance.

When Mbappe is silent, Real are silent. When the French star is not on the pitch, they lose almost all their attacking identity. His goal percentage, 52.9%, even surpasses Cristiano Ronaldo's highest figure. Behind him, Vinicius has only 5 goals, while Bellingham and Güler have 3 each.

Real Madrid are living off Mbappe, but football cannot depend on one man. Gonzalo and Endrick are not miracles, but they are options that need to be tried. If Xabi Alonso does not take the risk, Real may continue to live in the paradox of having two promising young strikers – but still no one to score.

Source: https://znews.vn/gonzalo-endrick-bi-dong-bang-o-real-madrid-post1601793.html