Single match of Copa del Rey quarterfinals: Leganés-Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti has taken the opportunity to make rotations by designing a line-up with many new features.
Jacobo, big news as a starter
Lunin; Valverde, Asencio, Jacobo, Mendy; Modric, Tchouaméni, Arda Güler; Rodrygo, Brahim, and Endrick. This is the line-up the Italian coach will field to reach the tournament semifinals.
Jacobo is the big news, along with Endrick, Güler, and Lunin. Ancelotti trusts in Jacobo's understanding with Asencio, two gems that emerged from La Fábrica Madridist.
It is the moment for those who don't usually have minutes to seize the opportunity and earn a spot in the starting eleven.
Today was David Alaba's day
Carlo Ancelotti had marked today to bring David Alaba into the team. Today marks 399 days since he got injured.
But David Alaba has gotten injured again, and Ancelotti has been forced to turn once more to Asencio, who, interestingly, raises his performance as he plays more matches.
The one who doesn't fail is Tchouaméni, a midfielder who plays in the central position with a midfielder's mindset. The Frenchman takes a lot of unnecessary risks, but there's "the intern" Asencio to solve his blunders.
Without having a first-team spot, he already exceeds a thousand minutes used as a patch to cover the absences that have occurred in the defense.
De la Fuente counts on him for the national team
Under normal circumstances, with Carvajal, Militão, and Alaba at full capacity, Asencio would still be playing in Castilla. But he is smart and has known how to seize his opportunity.
Madridism sees in him the new Sanchís for his way of moving and behaving on the field. Meanwhile, Luis De la Fuente already has him in his plans for the national team for the Nations League in March.
Without Carvajal, Rüdiger, Militão, and Alaba, Asencio has stepped up to become the leader of the Madridist defense.
Asencio is still on Castilla's payroll. But he hasn't left the first team's discipline since Ancelotti incorporated him in November.
1,000 minutes and not part of the first team
The surprising thing is that he has exceeded a thousand minutes without having a first-team spot. Neither the oldest in the place remember a similar case with Nacho, Morata, Achraf, Jesé, or Reguilón.
And Marca recalls that others, like Carvajal, Arbeloa, Callejón, Granero, Lucas Vázquez, or Fran García didn't reach this figure until they returned to Real Madrid after being loaned out.
Asencio has already played 10 matches with Real Madrid's jersey in La Liga. 5 of them as a starter. 588 minutes, with 37 duels won and 33 recoveries.
In total, he has played 20 matches with Real Madrid since November 9, stepping on the field in 19 of them and starting in 9.
He has already played more minutes than players like Camavinga, Endrick, Güler, and Lunin. Asencio is on fire.