Real Madrid forward Carlos Espi makes Spain U21 history with five-goal masterclass: ‘A special night’

Real Madrid forward Carlos Espi makes Spain U21 history with five-goal masterclass: ‘A special night’ Carlos Espi has delivered another emphatic reminder of his goalscoring instincts, with the Real Madrid striker making history during Spain Under-21s’ extraordinary 13-0 victory over San Marino. Espi became the first player in Spain Under-21 history to score five goals in a single match. Remarkably, it was only his second appearance at this level and his first start, while he also contributed two assists. Five goals and two assists on a historic night As quoted by Mundo Deportivo , Espi spoke about how he felt after his display against San Marino. “The truth is that it’s a special night,” Espi said. “I really wanted to be here, to help the team, and I’m very happy.” “We came here motivated to win and we fought until the end. We knew we were going to be in the box, I was ready for any rebound, any moment, and I was there.” Espi summed up his characteristics perfectly. His greatest quality is not necessarily spectacular technique. It is his instinct for where chances are going to appear. Spain Under-21 coach David Gordo was equally satisfied, saying Espi did his job by “scoring goals and helping his teammates score too.” Espi also described the reaction of his team-mates as a source of “pride” and shared the credit for his five goals with the rest of the side before dedicating the achievement to his family and friends. Another message for Mourinho San Marino’s level obviously has to be considered before drawing enormous conclusions from a 13-0 victory. However, Espi’s efficiency is becoming a recurring theme. The 20-year-old had played only 26 minutes across Real Madrid’s opening eight matches this season. His late goals against Espanyol and Elche directly helped Madrid secure four points . Now, in his first Spain Under-21 start, he has produced five goals and two assists. No one is arguing that Espi should suddenly displace Kylian Mbappe, but Jose Mourinho has an increasingly interesting alternative on his bench. Espi offers Madrid something simple but valuable: a natural penalty-box striker who anticipates rebounds, occupies defenders and does not appear to need much time to showcase his quality. The Spaniard will have an important role to play for Los Blancos off the bench, and it remains to be seen how Mourinho uses him in the coming months.