Real Madrid: Three things we learned from a terrible performance vs. PSG

Marco Asensio is not good enough for Real Madrid

How this man keeps getting these starts is just beyond me. Marco Asensio was very easily the worst player on the pitch, and there were so many bad performers, you’d think it’d be tougher to pick the worst one out of a bad lot. But no, Marco Asensio defies expectations yet again.

In a game where they needed a lot of energy and running through the press, Carlo Ancelotti chose to go with Marco Asensio, who doesn’t bring energy, and can’t run past defenders or through the press. He can’t defend properly, he can’t make the right decisions in the box. So, Carlo, why was he playing?

I think that if Fede Valverde – a midfielder – was chosen over Asensio to play on the right-wing, we would’ve at least seen some more output from the right. Carvajal was clearly struggling, Asensio didn’t help. Valverde would’ve at least tried to suffocate Mbappe. Valverde would’ve at least tried to come short as an outlet and run through the press as he has so many times in the past. Asensio was caught in no man’s land so many times, the man was as confused on the pitch as I was while watching the game.

It just leads me to believe that if a player can only perform well once in three or four games, then he simply isn’t good enough to be on the squad for Real Madrid, let alone be a full-fledged starter for the team.

How many times have we had this conversation? “Oh, Asensio is good off the bench when he has a point to prove, but he’s really bad when he starts.” He’s not consistent enough. I’ve been saying this for years now, Real Madrid need to let him go. Asensio will never become the player he promised everyone he would be in his first two seasons at the club. That will never happen.

He gets too comfortable when he becomes a starter and it shows that he’s not good enough to be doing half the things he used to do, week in week out. He’s only good in spurts, and that is simply not good enough for Real Madrid. The club needs a reliable third attacking option, and once Mbappe joins, or if Mbappe joins, there would be no room for Asensio in the squad. There still isn’t, but I don’t see why Real Madrid’s higher-ups don’t understand that. He’s not that good enough anymore, he hasn’t been since before his ACL injury. It’s time that everyone, including Asensio, realises that.