Real Madrid needed two goals from Endrick in extra time to get past Celta Vigo in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey and avoid another embarrassing setback less than a week after losing 5-2 to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Federico Valverde also scored in extra time Thursday as Madrid reached the quarterfinals with a 5-2 victory after squandering a 2-0 lead in a 2-2 draw in regulation at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior scored a goal in each half but Celta rallied with goals by Jonathan Bamba in the 83rd minute and Marcos Alonso in stoppage time.
The 18-year-old Endrick, who entered the match in the 79th, put Madrid ahead in the 108th with a shot from outside the area and then sealed the victory in the 119th with a back-heel flick after Valverde had added to the lead in the 112th.
“It was tough, but with Madrid it’s always like this, we keep fighting until the end and we come out on top,” said Endrick, who profusely celebrated his first goal by taking off his shirt. “We never give up.”
Madrid was looking for a comfortable victory to bounce back from the rout against Barcelona. Carlo Ancelotti's team is trying to keep pace with Atletico Madrid at the top of the Spanish league and improve its standings in the league phase of the Champions League.
It was the first of a three-game home stretch for Madrid, which on Sunday hosts Las Palmas in the Spanish league and on Wednesday takes on Salzburg in the Champions League.
Mbappé put Madrid ahead in the 37th minute after picking up the ball before the midfield line and making a run all the way into the Celta area to finish with a left-footed cross shot. It was Mbappé’s second goal in his last five matches with Madrid. Vinícius scored his first goal in five matches after a breakaway in the 48th.
Celta pulled closer after Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga lost possession near the area and allowed Bamba to score in the 83rd, and the Vigo team evened the match early in stoppage time with a penalty kick converted by Alonso after Bamba was fouled inside the area.
Endrick got off to a strong start in his first season with Madrid but had not been given much playing time by Ancelotti recently.
“(Ancelotti) knows what he's doing," Endrick said. “He doesn't have to do what's best for Endrick, he has to do what's best for the team. He knows that I've been working hard.”
Aurélien Tchouaméni, who struggled in the Super Cup final against Barcelona in Saudi Arabia, was booed by part of the crowd at the Bernabeu.
Defending champion beaten
Titleholder Athletic Bilbao rallied from a two-goal deficit in the first half but still lost 3-2 to Osasuna at home.
The visitors took the lead with goals by Aimar Oroz in the 40th and Ante Budimir in the 44th before Athletic evened the match with Nico Williams in first-half stoppage time and Óscar de Marcos in the 55th.
Budimir netted the winning goal in the 70th to help Osasuna advance two years after it had eliminated Athletic in the semifinals.
Also Thursday, Real Sociedad advanced by defeating Rayo Vallecano 3-1 at home.
On Wednesday, Barcelona beat Real Betis 5-1. Atletico Madrid defeated second-division club Elche 4-0, while Getafe won 1-0 at fourth-division team Pontevedra and Leganes won 3-2 at second-tier side Almeria.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
