Real Madrid: Eden Hazard’s return and 5 burning questions from a 0-0 draw vs. Real Betis

Is Marco Asensio sinking again?

After scoring four goals in four straight matches and looking like he had turned a corner after getting a full day of rest against Elche, Marco Asensio has returned to his slump. The Real Madrid right winger always shows technical quality in his matches, and he had a couple of great first touches in this one. But Madridistas won’t care about that. Nor should they.

Results matter more than anything else, especially with a player like Asensio. After all, that’s why he starts, and it’s why Zinedine Zidane didn’t pull him sooner than the 76th minute. Asensio, with his left foot, gives Real their best goal-scoring shot on the right-hand side. And that’s not just in theory. Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, only Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale have scored more than Asensio’s 8 goals, and he missed most of the 2019-2020 season.

But only 8 goals in more than two seasons of work is hardly a good return. Asensio is streaky. His four games this season and his summer performance in the last campaign were hot streaks, but the majority of the current season has been one big cold streak.

It seems as if Asensio is in another cold snap. He was horrible against Real Betis. And when Asensio is the worst player on the pitch, Real Madrid’s attack suffers greatly. Asensio created nothing of note for himself or his teammates. At this point, if he isn’t scoring goals, he isn’t doing enough for the team. The talent is there, and he is a good role player. But Madridistas are practically begging for some consistency at this point.