Real Madrid: Marco Asensio’s stage is set with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio has been shining bright this preseason, does that mean he’s now ready to take over from Cristiano Ronaldo?

I know it’s never a good idea to rate a player just off the preseason, but come on, with the loss of Ronaldo it’s hard not to be optimistic about the young Spaniard Marco Asensio. Along with the rest of Madrid’s young guys looking for an opportunity with an opening in the attack.

Asensio has come into every single match for Real Madrid and made his mark this preseason. Whether it was finishing off a fundamental goal, breaking the attack with his best Isco impression, or being a menace in the midfield. Marco seems like he had no holiday at all. With three goals in three matches, he looks ready for the upcoming season and it could not have come at a better time.

After Ronaldo’s departure, Madrid was linked to the likes of Neymar, Mbappe, Hazard, and everyone in between, making it seem like Marco would have to stay in his secondary role ofn the bench.

But with Madrid and Lopetegui happy with the core of the roster, they have claimed there will be no blockbuster signing it seems to replace Ronaldo directly. It’s Marco’s time now.

With Lopetegui taking over as manager of Madrid and after his time with Spain, you can tell the boss has seen Asensio and knows what he is capable of. I think that had he been a part of this World Cup as planned, we would have seen a different Spain with Asensio and Isco making major contributions.

With the attacking space opened up after Ronaldo’s departure, Asensio could see himself into a majority of the starting formations. With his ability to line up down the middle or on the wing, he is giving himself more versatility to get in the mix.

I believe that his relationship with Isco and Lucas Vazquez makes him an easy pick for most lineups. He is the type of player that can blend well with all the lineup possibilities, whether it’s with Benzema and Bale, or Mayoral and Vazquez.

After watching him in preseason – yeah I know, who is this guy talking about preseason again – I am not just looking at his performance, I am looking at his attitude, how happy he looks in a Madrid kit, and how hard he is working in these preseason games.

He knows this is exactly the opportunity he has been waiting for, with the club he has dreamt of leading. The goals will come for Asensio, and to win a regular starting job is exactly what he will need in order to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo.

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