Raúl Asencio has failed again, and this time his mistake was too serious to overlook. The Real Madrid youth academy product left his team with ten players in the 7th minute of the match against Pachuca in the Club World Cup. It was an absurd play that, according to Julio Maldonado "Maldini," was perfectly avoidable.
Maldini's criticism of Asencio
The journalist and analyst didn't hesitate to be direct: "Raúl Asencio makes a lot of mistakes. That's the reality." This time, the price was extremely high.
The Canary Island youth player committed a foul as the last man, with no real need. That cost him a straight red card and forced Real Madrid to play outnumbered for the entire match.
This wasn't the first time. As Maldini recalled, in the previous match, Asencio had already committed a penalty that made things difficult for the team.
What seemed like an isolated slip-up now becomes a worrying trend. "Today his mistake cost Real Madrid playing with one less for the whole match," he lamented.
Xabi Alonso had chosen Asencio as part of his rotation and high-pressing model, pushing the lines forward from the first minute. The opponent, Pachuca, noticed this and frequently looked for the long ball behind the defense. In one of those plays, Asencio, poorly positioned, made a reading error and brought down Rondón when he still had to control the ball.
"It wasn't necessary to do what he did," Maldini concluded, emphasizing that the play didn't require such a drastic intervention. Especially at that stage of the match.
Praise for Fran García and Huijsen
Not everything was criticism. Maldini also took the opportunity to highlight the good performance of Fran García and Huijsen, two players who did meet the expectations.
About the left back, he commented that "nobody doubts his attacking level," although he clarified that his real challenge lies in the defensive aspect. Even so, his performance was remarkable and balanced.
Praising Huijsen, Maldini was more emphatic: "You don't need to watch him much more to realize the player he is and is going to be." At his age, he already shows authority, tactical maturity, and a composure uncharacteristic of someone newly promoted to the first team.
Real Madrid ended up winning the match comfortably, despite being outnumbered. Asencio's sending off reopens the debate about his reliability. Xabi Alonso, who trusts giving minutes to youth players, might be forced to rethink his role for the remainder of the season.
Maldini's message is clear: Asencio is under scrutiny. At Real Madrid, mistakes aren't just costly... they also have consequences.