Real Madrid loanee Endrick issues perfect response to Paulo Fonseca criticism with stellar super-sub display for Lyon

Fonseca did not hold back when discussing his young forward before Sunday's clash. With Lyon suffering through a terrible run of nine matches without a victory, the manager delivered a clear message to Endrick, stating: "He has the obligation to do more." Fonseca specifically highlighted the teenager's role in the club's late-season push for European qualification. Consequently, starting the Real loanee on the bench in favour of Rachid Ghezzal for the clash with Lorient appeared to be a deliberate tactical message.

Before the match, the teenager had amassed 1,286 minutes for Lyon across 18 total appearances in all competitions, contributing six goals and five assists. In Ligue 1 alone, he had registered three goals and four assists in 10 outings. Despite these solid numbers, he was tasked with doing more. Following a stagnant first half, Fonseca made a triple substitution at the interval, introducing the Brazilian alongside Corentin Tolisso and Orel Mangala. Within five minutes, he justified the manager's demands. Accelerating down the right flank, Endrick delivered a pinpoint cross for Roman Yaremchuk, who headed home to give the hosts a deserved lead.

In the 56th minute, the Brazilian forward was central to the action once again. Endrick broke into space and forced Lorient goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo into a difficult save, allowing Tolisso to head the rebound into an empty net to double the advantage. Despite being two goals down, the visitors did not crumble and pushed for a penalty when Bamba Dieng went down in the box. However, referee Benoît Bastien utilised the experimental live stadium audio system to explain to the crowd that a prior foul had occurred. Dominik Greif then made a spectacular late save to preserve the clean sheet for Lyon.

Lyon have now climbed back up to fifth place in Ligue 1, sitting just two points adrift of the top three. Fonseca will desperately hope his team can maintain this crucial momentum as they prepare for a high-stakes trip to face league leaders Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes next weekend.