:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56411787/836176362.0.jpg)
Marco Asensio completed one of his best games as a professional football player in Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw against Valencia last Sunday. Just watch.
At age 21, he simply led Real Madrid in a game where Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t playing. Even Madrid’s captain Sergio Ramos told the media last Monday that “it’s time to let Asensio enjoy football while older, more experienced players get the pressure and carry the burden,” knowing that it might be too soon for Asensio to have that amount of responsibility on his shoulders.
Most Real Madrid fans want to see Marco Asensio in Real’s starting XI but Zinedine Zidane might decide to protect him and keep him on the bench when Ronaldo comes back from his suspension. As things stand right now, Isco, Bale and Asensio himself will be fighting for one spot in the starting lineup once Ronaldo makes his return and it will be interesting to see what Zidane decides to do.