Real Madrid’s injury misfortune was so acute that Carlo Ancelotti called it a “total emergency.” His alarm was justified. With Antonio Rüdiger, Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão and David Alaba all sidelined, the Italian manager lacked a single senior defender for a run of fixtures in February that included a derby against Atlético Madrid and two games against Manchester City.
Somehow, Real Madrid came through that stretch unbeaten, knocking City out of the Champions League and maintaining their place in the Spanish title race. This was in no small part due to the level found by Raúl Asencio who emerged as the unlikely solution to Los Blancos’ injury crisis at the back.
Asencio has made himself a key pillar of Ancelotti’s team. Even with some of Real Madrid’s injured defenders now returning, the 22-year-old has kept his place in the lineup, starting Los Blancos’ last eight matches in all competitions. Asencio has been so good, it’s remarkable his potential went unnoticed for so long.
At Castilla, Asencio rarely caught the eye. While Real Madrid’s B team is frequently used as a finishing school for the club’s best and brightest young players, Asencio was never thought of in this way. Indeed, recent reports claim Real Madrid has earmarked him for release at the end of the season.
It was only through necessity that Ancelotti called Asencio up to the first team. Real Madrid needed a warm body to bulk out their squad and drafted in the 22-year-old largely because he was already at the training ground shared by Castilla. Asencio, however, grabbed the opportunity he was given with both hands.
Technically and physically, Asencio has proved his ability at the top level over the last month. He is good on the ball and can play out from the back. The 22-year-old is also strong enough to handle himself against the most imposing opposition attackers and is intelligent enough to recognise danger before it even develops.
Asencio’s passing accuracy in LaLiga this season stands at 93% while he also has a 57.1% long ball accuracy, something to speaks to his role in getting service to Real Madrid’s superstar attackers as quickly as possible. The 22-year-old also won an impressive 68.7% of his duels this season and 68% of his aerial duels. He is a defensive all-rounder.
Initially after breaking into the first team, Asencio was sometimes guilty of being too aggressive in certain moments. Now, though, he is walking the tightrope. “We worked on that, and he is doing very well,” Ancelotti said when asked about that side of the defender’s game. “Raúl was a surprise to everyone, really. He is a surprise to me too.”
Alongside Rüdiger, Real Madrid have used Asencio to find balance at the back. Even when Aurélien Tchouaméni has been drafted into the defensive line, Asencio has given Los Blancos a strong foundation and safety net for the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo to do their thing higher up the pitch.
Off the pitch, Asencio has faced controversy. The 22-year-old and three other Castilla players were arrested for allegedly recording and distributing a sexually explicit video of a minor. An appeal by Asencio’s lawyers to end the investigation into the defender was rejected by a court in February with the case still to be resolved.
On the pitch, though, Asencio is getting better with almost every match he plays. Many expect the centre back to be called up to Spain’s next squad for March’s UEFA Nations League games against the Netherlands and his recent performances at club level suggest he would have something to offer the national team.
Out of an unprecedented injury crisis, Real Madrid have emerged with another top-level central defender they can count on with Los Blancos fighting for silverware on three fronts in LaLiga, Champions League and Copa del Rey. Asencio could be an important part of a Treble-winning season.
Had Asencio not emerged as such a dependable option in recent weeks, Real Madrid almost certainly would have entered the transfer market for a new centre back this summer. The Spanish giants wanted one last summer only for Manchester United to usurp them in their pursuit of Leny Yoro. Arsenal’s William Saliba is also believed to be a long-term target.
With Asencio on the rise, though, Real Madrid’s transfer plans might change. Barcelona’s La Masia might still be regarded as the most productive youth academy in Spanish football, but La Fabrica is also doing its bit to provide Real Madrid with young talent and Asencio is the latest to come off the conveyer belt.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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