Real Madrid impressed by form of Raul Asencio

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti appeared reluctant to make use of the youth academy talents at his disposal, but centre-back Raul Asencio has risen to the challenges that have awaited him so far. The 21-year-old did not stand out for the right reasons against Liverpool and has previously impressed in games against Leganes and Osasuna.

A report from Diario AS reveals that Real Madrid have been pleasantly surprised by Asencio's form since his first-team debut. The calm manner in which he has handled the adjustment and the maturity he has shown have impressed the Valdebebas offices and exceeded expectations. They now believe he could potentially be a player they can keep beyond the short term.

This was confirmed by Carlo Ancelotti during his press conference on Saturday, when he told the media that Asencio did everything that was asked of him.

“When everyone comes back [from injury] he will fight for the position. The three games he has played he deserves to be a starter. He has shown confidence, he has been good with the ball and without the ball… He deserves to be taken into account and fight to be a starter. In every aspect in which he had to demonstrate something, he has met the standard time and time again.”

That was in stark contrast to his answer to Endrick. Los Blancos have more options to play for the Brazilian, but it has been noted that he is not getting the opportunities he would like amid an injury crisis.

Asencio was linked with a move to Girona in the summer and was certainly more interested, but opted to pursue it with the Castilla team. Rarely do La Fabrica graduates get a chance in the first team, but Asencio has grabbed it with both hands. Ancelotti will have Aurelien Tchouameni back next week, giving him his first taste of competition.