The 21-year-old has stepped up amid a raft of injuries at Santiago Bernabeu and is already being tipped to earn a Spain call-up in 2025
Let's make this clear: Real Madrid have a centre-back problem. The injury lists makes for grim reading; Eder Militao is out for the season, David Alaba is still recovering from ACL surgery with no return imminent, Aurelien Tchouameni – who has filled in on occasion over the past 12 months – is being held back by a troublesome ankle issue, and Dani Carvajal – who could provide cover in a crisis – is also done for the season after suffering a gruesome knee injury in October.
But this is Madrid, and deep in the halls of Valdebebas, there is immense talent to be found. Carlo Ancelotti has been reluctant to dip into his academy ranks as Madrid manager, but in Raul Asencio, he might just have found a gem. The 21-year-old has equipped himself admirably since stepping into Madrid line up, and was perhaps the only player to impress in the battering at Anfield, while has held his own across a trio of La Liga fixtures.
More broadly, Asencio's performances might just save Madrid millions, as they may no longer need to dip into the transfer market for an expensive replacement in January.
GOAL takes a look at Spain's newest young talent, and how he has kept the Blancos' backline together amid an injury crisis:
Where it all began
Asencio isn't quite the fairy-tale story of a Madrid local, stepping into the side from the day he could walk. Rather, the centre-back has taken some of a roundabout path to get here.
Born in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, Asencio played for his local club, before joining the Las Palmas set-up in 2012. He remained there for five years, before joining Madrid in 2017, at the age of 14.
It is not a novel concept, these days, for top talents to be accelerated through the youth system in Madrid, and Asencio is among those who has risen rapidly. He graduated to Madrid's C team in 2022 as a 19-year-old – still young for a centre-back yet to flesh out. Before the end of that campaign, he was involved in the club's reserves (Real Madrid Castilla), and soon became a regular under the tutelage of club legend Raul as he was rewarded with the captain's armband.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe big break
Still, despite his quiet excellence at academy level, there was a prevailing sense that Asencio's talents might meet their limit. After all, how can you crack a Madrid side with so much talent – and so much money to spend in order to replace it?
An injury crisis is a decent place to start. Los Blancos, in truth, probably needed to sign a new centre-back after club captain and veteran back-up Nacho left last summer. In failing to do so, they lost some serious depth at the position. So when the injury bug struck, Ancelotti had no option but to turn to Asencio. The young defender had already been part of the squad during pre-season, and turned in a solid half against AC Milan in a friendly in late July. A cameo against Chelsea also caught the eye.
And then, his moment came. After Militao went down with an ACL injury in the first half of Madrid's La Liga fixture with Osasuna on November 9, Asencio came on, and produced a memorable hour at the back, winning all of his tackles while pinging a wonderful assist for Jude Bellingham to open his goal-scoring account for the campaign.
Getty Images SportHow it's going
Since then, Asencio has been a regular. He was solid as Madrid saw off Leganes, winning all three of his aerial duels and moving the ball tidily in a 3-0 win.
A few days later, the result wasn't so kind. Madrid may have been handily swept aside by Liverpool in the Champions League, but Asencio held his own for the most part, keeping his side in the game early on with a remarkable goal-line clearance. It was, in fact, his team-mates Antonio Rudiger and Lucas Vazquez who can be charged with the mistakes that led to the Reds' goals in a 2-0 win.
Ironically, Getafe, just a few days later, was always going to be a bit of a bigger test. Pepe Bordalas' side play an ugly, gritty brand of football, and launched long balls at the Madrid backline. Asencio was more than up to the task, making nine clearances and completing 95 percent of his passes at the back. There are further tests to come, but so far, things look good.
Getty Images SportBiggest strengths
It's too soon to tell exactly what kind of footballer Asencio is. After all, he is just 21, and after what Ancelotti described as a "trial by fire", he is still finding his feet at the highest level.
But the raw gifts are clear. At six foot tall, Asencio isn't massive for a centre-back, but he is a good athlete, which allows him to win plenty of headers. He is also quick, tidy on the ball, and a good enough passer to keep the ball moving in this possession-based Madrid side. His 60-yard ping to Bellingham on debut also suggests that he can hit it long, when needs be.
But perhaps the biggest compliment that can be paid to the youngster is that he looks right at home in this team. Rudiger is a star, and Asencio has worked alongside him admirably. It's early days, but a pretty solid partnership is forming in the Spanish capital.
