Real Madrid vs. Betis: 3 takeaways from another poor result

Isco, Marco Asensio fail to get the job done

Every start is a big opportunity for Isco, because he rarely starts for Real Madrid. The 29-year-old had his chances in this game, but he was honestly quite disappointing. Isco failed to release a couple of passes at the right time, and there was something off about his performance. But at least, per WhoScored.com, he drew three fouls and worked hard, even if nothing really threatening came off for him in midfield.

Meanwhile, Marco Asensio was anonymous again. He’s cooled off a lot since his hot streak in which he scored four in four games. Asensio looked like a man who was pretending to defend, and he was practically invisible offensively.

It’s far too often that Asensio is the worst player on the pitch when Real Madrid also have one of their worst games of the season. They need all hands on deck in the attack, and when one man is barely beating defenders, is failing to create his own shot, and can’t make an incisive pass to break the lines, it drags everyone else down.

Real Madrid needed someone to step up alongside a young winger and Karim Benzema. Either Isco or Asensio needed to create chances for the team, and they both had just one key pass and one dribble completed each. That’s not good enough, in my book.