After the brilliant performance against Liverpool at Anfield, that saw them get a 5-2 win, Real Madrid fans must have come into the Derby with raised expectations. Carlo Ancelotti’s side had already gotten the better of Atletico Madrid on two occasions this season, with Diego Simeone’s side nowhere near their best in the ongoing campaign.
Real Madrid went on to produce a disappointing Derby performance against Atletico Madrid though, who were down to 10 men after Angel Correa was shown a red card. Yet, Ancelotti’s side had to rely on a late equaliser from Alvaro to salvage a draw out of the game.
This result is a huge blow to their hopes of catching up with Barcelona in the La Liga title race, which might be as good as over at this point of time. And it might make sense for Ancelotti’s side to turn their focus towards the Champions League and Copa del Rey.
Several of Real Madrid’s players were disappointing on the day. But one player who seemed to struggle particularly is Marco Asensio, who was criticised heavily by the fans for his performance.
Real Madrid player slammed for his performance vs Atletico Madrid
Asensio seemed to play with a point to prove, after being given an unexpected start. Unfortunately, not much came off for him on the day.
At times, it felt like he was just trying too hard to make things happen and simply could not. It was a frustrating display. Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior were not a lot better either, but they have a lot more credit with the fans and it is rare that they do not deliver.
Asensio has been hit-and-miss in recent times. Coming into this match, he had scored in 3 of his last 4 La Liga appearances. And yet, this performance felt like a step in a backward direction, and will most likely see him return to the bench.