Raul Asencio impresses with a fearless performance in Real Madrid vs Manchester City | OneFootball

The first half of February was a crucial period for Real Madrid, as it could have determined their fate in three of the competitions that they are looking to win this season, i.e., La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League.

However, they had to enter this crucial phase with some very notable absences, and their defensive line was almost entirely decimated. Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal were already recovering from their long-term injuries, while David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger, and Lucas Vazquez also suffered injuries during this period, leaving Carlo Ancelotti with a very thin defensive line.

Things did not go really well for them in La Liga, as they suffered an unexpected and controversial loss against Espanyol, before losing more points in the Madrid derby, which ended in a 1-1 draw despite the Merengues putting on a good show.

Their matters were also complicated, but still better, in Copa del Rey, as Los Blancos were able to win their quarter-finals tie against Leganes with a 3-2 scoreline, but avoided playing extra time only because of Gonzalo Garcia’s goal in injury time.

However, it was their favourite competition, i.e., the UEFA Champions League, which once again brought out the best in Real Madrid, as they took on the Premier League side Manchester City in the playoff tie for the Round of 16.

The first leg of this game took place on Tuesday, and the Merengues got their first victory in regulation time at the Etihad and thus will be playing the upcoming second leg of the tie at the Santiago Bernabeu this Wednesday with a one-goal advantage over the Citizens after winning the away game with a 2-3 scoreline.

With all of his injury absences, Ancelotti had to pick up a makeshift backline, with two midfielders slotting in to make up the required numbers, of Ferland Mendy, Raul Asencio, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Federico Valverde.

Despite them playing out of position and their lack of form, one could have trusted Mendy, Tchouameni, and Valverde to rely on their experience to deal with one of the most dangerous attacking lines in Europe. However, this was the biggest challenge yet in Asencio’s career at the top level, and he had to directly face one of the deadliest attackers in Europe, i.e., Erling Haaland.

But, fortunately for Real Madrid, the enormity of the stage and his opponent did not really faze the young defender, who held his own and helped his team get a highly encouraging win away from home.

The early phase of the game was not really good for Asencio, as his misjudgement when trying to head an aerial ball allowed Josko Gvardiol to lay off the ball for Haaland to slot the ball past Thibaut Courtois in the 18th minute.

However, he grew into the game after that and ensured the hosts did not find it easy to threaten the Merengues’ goal. He had several defensive contributions in this game, as Sofascore statistics note that he made 2 clearances, 2 tackles, 1 last-man tackle, and blocked 1 shot. He also was not dribbled past by any Manchester City player on the night.

Furthermore, the Spaniard also won all 4 of the ground duels he was engaged in, and had a rather clean game, as he committed no fouls whatsoever. On the contrary, he was fouled twice by the Premier League time. He was also tidy with the ball, recording a 94% passing accuracy, and also successfully completed 2 of his 4 attempted long passes.

Thus, the young defender shone in his toughest test yet with the Real Madrid first team. Hopefully, this performance will encourage him to continue playing at such a level for years to come, as he is already proving his credentials as a top level defender in his very first year with the first team.