The Club Journey of Joselu

Real Madrid striker Joselu found himself in a surreal moment after he came on as a substitute in the dying minutes of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich and completely changed the course of the game with two goals, securing a stunning victory.

 Joselu, whose career has seen him play for several clubs including Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hannover 96, Stoke City, and Newcastle United, had limited involvement in the match but left a lasting impact with his crucial goals in Real Madrid’s 2-1 second-leg win.

His first goal came in the 88th minute when he capitalized on a rare mistake by Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer, poking the ball into the net to equalize for Real Madrid. Just two minutes later, he scored again, volleying in a cross from Antonio Ruediger to give Real Madrid the lead.

Reflecting on his performance, Joselu expressed his happiness, saying, “I don’t know anything about being a hero, but I’m very happy… You can imagine. It was incredible, something spectacular.”

Joselu’s path to becoming the hero of the semi-final has been filled with ups and downs, playing for a dozen clubs across Europe. He started his career at Celta Vigo before joining Real Madrid’s B team in 2009. Despite excelling there, he struggled to break into the first team and was eventually sold to Hoffenheim in 2012, with subsequent loan spells at Eintracht Frankfurt and a move to Hannover 96 in 2014.

After a stint in the Premier League with Stoke City and Newcastle United, Joselu returned to Spain, playing for Alaves before joining Espanyol in 2022. A year later, he was loaned to Real Madrid, where he has scored nine goals in 32 appearances this season in La Liga.

Joselu, born in Stuttgart, Germany, made his debut for the Spanish national team at the age of 33, coming off the bench against Norway to score twice in two minutes in March 2023.

Teammate Jude Bellingham praised Joselu’s performance, joking, “I don’t think Joselu will be sleeping much tonight, he’ll be useless in training tomorrow!” He added, “He deserves it all, he’s been an amazing member of the squad all season and it’s his night.”