Tag Archives: Marco Asensio

La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 29

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Week 29 looks like it was a turning point in La Liga was a huge blow to Atletico Madrid’s chances of winning the title. Atletico lost 1-0 away to Sevilla and have seen their huge lead cut down. Real Madrid are only 3 points behind and if Barcelona win their game in hand they will only be 1 point behind. Is the writing on the wall for Atletico? It looks increasingly likely.

Barcelona didn’t play at the weekend but they remain the best in form side in La Liga and have earned an incredible 28 points from a possible 30.

Let’s take a look below at the players who impressed the most as La Liga returned this past weekend.

Goalkeeper: Bono- Sevilla 7pts

Bono has been here so many times and is clearly one of the best goalkeeper’s in Spain this season. This was his 13th clean sheet of the season and what it was as Sevilla marched to Champions League qualification as they beat league leaders Atletico Madrid 1-0.

Defender: Ferland Mendy- Real Madrid 5pts

Ferland Mendy has been of Real Madrid’s best defenders this season and he earned another 5 points at the weekend to take his tally to 53. He has helped to keep 11 clean sheets so far.

Defender: Nacho- Real Madrid 5pts

Nacho has 30 points now as Real Madrid beat Eibar 2-0 at home to keep yet another clean sheet and possibly close in on the league title. Nacho made some great judgments on the ball and had a solid game.

Defender: Pedro Lopez- Huesca 5pts

Pedro Lopez showed a lot of maturity at the back for Huesca as they pulled off a terrific result to beat Levante away from home by 2-0. He’s hardly played any games this season and that is why he only has 9 points overall. His value is worth 5m.

Defender: Alberto Moreno- Villarreal 5pts

Alberto Moreno was part of a Villarreal defence that kept a clean sheet as they went to Granada and won 3-0. Moreno now has a total of 5 points given that this was indeed his first game for the club this season.

Midfielder: Marco Asensio- Real Madrid 6pts

Marco Asensio had an interesting game for Real Madrid as they beat Eibar 2-0. He scored the opening goal but it was ruled out by VAR but then a couple of minutes later he made amends for that and scored a proper opening goal.

Midfielder: Casemiro- Real Madrid 4pts

Casemiro has had a solid and professional season with Real and he assisted in the clubs first goal as they beat Eibar 2-0. Casemiro now has two assists for the season and has a total of 40 points so far.

Midfielder: Jesus Navas- Sevilla 4pts

Jesus Navas helped out at the back at times as Sevilla beat Atletico Madrid 1-0. Navas also assisted in the only goal of the game, to round up a very good performance from the midfielder. Currently he is the clubs 4th best midfielder so far.

Midfielder: David Ferreiro- Huesca 4pts

David Ferreiro assisted in Huesca’s goal as they beat Levante 2-0 at the weekend to earn a good 4 points. He has 3 assists now and is ranked at number 1 Huesca midfielder with a total of 23 points.

Striker: Gerard Moreno- Villarreal 14pts

It was a special weekend for Gerard Moreno who doesn’t always get the credit that he deserves. Villarreal beat Granada 3-0 and he scored all the goals to get a hat-trick. Moreno now has 19 goals this season and is 2nd in the top goalscorers.

Striker: Iago Aspas- Celta Vigo 8pts

Iago Aspas had a terrific game as he scored and assisted in the other 2 goals as Celta Vigo beat Alaves 3-1. Aspas has had a good solid season and has appeared in the team of the weeks a few times now. He has 10 goals and has also assisted in a further 10.

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La Liga: Best 11 Players of Week 28

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The top 3 clubs all won so nothing has changed in that respect, however it is clear as daylight that Barcelona are getting better by each passing week and they destroyed Real Sociedad 6-1 at the weekend. The gap to 1st place remains at 4 points.

Karim Benzema is in great form and scored another brace as Real Madrid remain 3rd and they won their 18th game of the season as they beat Celta Vigo. Sevilla drew but it doesn’t matter given that Real Sociedad have lost 2 games in a row and Sevilla now has a 10 point safety net and should claim the final Champions League place.

Let’s take a look below at the players in La Liga who made the team of the week.

Goalkeeper: Jan Oblak- Atletico Madrid 7pts

Jan Oblak now has 14 clean sheets for the season as Atletico got past Alaves 1-0. Oblak had to made 3 good saves in the game and it was on a nervous knife edge for most of the 90 minutes.

Defender: Serginho Dest- Barcelona 8pts

Serginho Dest did help to concede 1 goal as Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 6-1. However Dest had a great confident game as he scored 2 goals. This was a rare occasion for the player and those were his first two goals of the season.

Defender: Kieran Trippier- Atletico Madrid 7pts

Trippier helped to keep a clean sheet as Atletico stayed 4 points clear at the top of La Liga with a 1-0 win over Alaves. Trippier also assited in the winning goal setting up Luis Suarez, to round up a great contribution for the Englishman.

Defender: Aissa Mandi- Real Betis 7pts

Aissa Mandi helped to keep his 8th clean sheet of the season as Real Betis beat Levante 2-0. Mandi who has had one of his best seasons as a player also assisted in the clubs first goal. His value is 6.5m.

Defender: David Garcia- Osasuna 5pts

Not for the first time David Garcia of Osasuna has made the team of the week. Garcia was solid in defence as helped to keep a 9th clean sheet for his club as they drew 0-0 with Huesca. The player now has 30 points overall

Midfielder: Nabil Fekir- Real Betis 6pts

It has been hot and cold with Nabil Fekir’s career ever since he joined Real Betis but it was certainly hot at the weekend as he scored a goal and helped Real Betis to beat Levante with that game ending 2-0. It was Fekir’s third goal of the season and he now has 32 points overall.

Midfielder: Marco Asensio- Real Madrid 4pts

Marco Asensio only played for 20 minutes as he came on as a 2nd half substitution but the midfielder did score Real’s 3rd goal of the game right at the end as they eased to a 3-1 victory over Celta Vigo. That was the player’s third goal of the season.

Midfielder: Alex- Cadiz 4pts

Alex makes the team of the week again and he earned another 4 points as Cadiz lost 2-1 away to Villarreal. It was a disappointing result for his club but Alex did manage to score a goal and he has 4 so far, he also has a total of 31 points.

Midfielder: Pere Milla- Elche 3pts

Pere Milla scored the opening goal for Elche although in the end they could only draw 1-1 with Granada. However it was Milla’s 2nd goal of the season and perhaps will give the 28 year old more confidence going forward as the campaign goes on.

Striker: Karim Benzema- Real Madrid 10pts

There were hardly any midfielders that stood out this week in Spain, but there were strikers- and it was the old brilliant guard. Karim Benzema scored another brace, he has been in brilliant form lately as Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 3-1 away from home. Benzema now has 17 goals so far and is having another solid season with Real.

Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona 10pts

Lionel Messi has been back to his brilliant best in the league especially in the past month. Messi scored another 2 goals at the weekend as Barca destroyed Real Sociedad 6-1 away from home to put the pressure on league leaders Atletico Madrid and they are now only 4 points behind them. Messi is the leading scorer in La Liga this season and has 23 goals so far.

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Marco Asensio can start to look forward to Real Madrid return

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You could see it in his face. He knew. With pre-season winding down and the start of the new season coming into sight, Marco Asensio suffered a knee injury in a Stateside friendly against Arsenal. With his head in his hands on a stretcher, crying, it was clear that the 23-year-old would be out for some time.

Indeed, Asensio has missed the entire season to date and is expected to remain out for some time yet. Real Madrid have coped in his absence, with Rodrygo emerging as something of a superstar. Zinedine Zidane has managed to take his team to the peak of the Spanish Liga table where Real Madrid trail Barcelona only on goal difference.

And yet the return of Asensio will significantly strengthen Real Madrid. While the 23-year-old has frequently struggled for form and consistency over his time at the club, he remains a difference-maker. At present, Real Madrid have grown too reliant on Karim Benzema for a spark in the final third of the pitch. Asensio would take some of that burden.

Of course, with Rodrygo now considered a first team figure and Eden Hazard joining from Chelsea in the summer Asensio will still have to work to regain his place in Zidane’s side, but in terms of natural talent the 23-year-old is still one of the very best on the books at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Reports in the Spanish press this week claim Asensio is back on the training pitch and working with a ball at his feet having completed a programme of gym work over the winter break. The Spanish international is still doing his rehabilitation on his own, although Hazard joined Asensio in some of his work as he continues his own recovery from injury. The signs are positive for both players after something of a dark period. It might not be long before Asensio is training with his teammates again.

There is a growing sense that Asensio could in fact return to first team action before the end of the season, although Zidane should be wary of rushing back a player who has spent the last seven months out of action with a serious injury. Asensio’s work between now and the end of the season should be about preparing him for the 2020/21 campaign. That’s when he could make a real impact for Real Madrid again.

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Real Madrid are showing others how to get rid of deadwood

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A squad overhaul was always likely at Real Madrid this summer. Indeed, their 2018/19 season unravelled so quickly it gave everyone at the Santiago Bernabeu time to devise a strategy and in the space of two weeks the Spanish giants went about spending the best part of £300 million on new signings.

They signed Luka Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt with Brazilian attacker Rodrygo arriving from Santos. Eder Militao was added, joining from Porto, while left back Ferland Merland was signed from Lyon. And of course, the long pursuit of Eden Hazard finally came to an end, with the Belgian signing for a fee reported to be around £100 million plus add-ons.

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This is what has hogged the headlines in the Madrid press over the off-season. Real Madrid might not be finished spending either with recent reports claiming they have made an offer to Manchester United for Paul Pogba, a player Zinedine Zidane has been keen on for quite some time.

But Real Madrid’s summer has been about more than just big money signings. Zidane spent the final weeks of last season testing his squad, rotating players in and out of the team to determine who would be kept and who would be sold on. He is now acting on this, with numerous exits already secured.

Real Madrid are showing others how to get rid of deadwood from their squad. Mateo Kovacic has been sold for a fee of around £40 million to Chelsea, with Marcos Llorente leaving for Atletico Madrid. Then there’s Raul de Tomas, the striker who spent last season on loan at Rayo Vallecano. He’s been sold to Benfica for £20 million.

On top of this, Real Madrid are reportedly in talks to sell Dani Ceballos, Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale, Nacho Fernandez, Isco and Lucas Vazquez. Whether or not some of these players should be listed for transfer in the first place is up for debate, but Real Madrid are acting quickly to overhaul their squad.

Contrast this to the way Manchester United have struggled to free up space in their squad. Mateo Darmian, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Alexis Sanchez and Ashley Young have all been tipped to leave Old Trafford and yet they still remain. Some have even been handed new contracts in the past few months.

The past year hasn’t exactly seen Real Madrid painted as the perfect football club. They have made bad decisions and were made to pay for them. But they are now correcting some of their past mistakes. They are setting a precedent not just in the players they are bringing in, but in those they are moving on as well.

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What has happened to Marco Asensio?

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It was after a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup back in 2017 that Gerard Pique admitted he felt, for the first time, Barcelona to be “inferior” to Real Madrid. There were a number of factors that led the Catalan centre back to make just a bold confession and one of them was surely Marco Asensio.

Asensio scored twice over the two legs of that Spanish Super Cup final, with one of them a stunning strike from distance that deceived Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in the Barcelona goal by moving one way and then the next before finding the back of the net. It was just another moment of brilliance from a player destined for the top.

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Or so it seemed at the time. Asensio was seen as Real Madrid’s next Galactico, the future face of the club. Possibly even a future Ballon d’Or winner. Things have gone a little differently since then, though. In recent times, Asensio has been a shadow of his former self. A pale imitation of the player who shimmered so bright not so long ago.

Zinedine Zidane seems to have lost faith in the 23-year-old, with Asensio now a peripheral figure at Real Madrid. The hope was that Zidane’s return would help restore Asensio. It was, after all, the Frenchman that brought through the young attacker. There has been no such resurgence, though.

Instead, Asensio is, according to reports, being touted around Europe. Liverpool have long tracked the 23-year-old and with Real Madrid supposedly open to a sale it seems that the Anfield outfit might well get their man. Chelsea have also been linked with a move for the attacker, although their transfer embargo could prove to be an obstacle.

This wasn’t how Asensio’s Real Madrid career was meant to pan out, but it appears that Zidane has decided that the 23-year-old doesn’t fit into his plans for the future. The Spanish capital club find themselves in a mess and Zidane must be ruthless in his restoration of his squad, even if it means cutting Asensio.

Along with Gareth Bale, there has been no greater victim of the chaos that has engulfed the Santiago Bernabeu over the past year or so than Asensio. There is still time for him to retrace the upward trajectory he has diverted from, but increasingly it seems that he will do so away from Real Madrid.

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Is Eden Hazard the right man for Real Madrid?

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Anyone who watched Chelsea’s comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham United on Monday evening surely drew one conclusion – Eden Hazard really wants a move to Real Madrid this summer. The Belgian has been the subject of much speculation linking him with a switch to the Spanish capital and against the Hammers at Stamford Bridge, he was in sparkling form.

Zinedine Zidane was surely watching. So certain are some outlets that Hazard will join Real Madrid at the end of the season they have even reported the exact fee, with Chelsea said to be demanding £100 for their prize asset. With just one year left on Hazard’s contract, that would appear to be market value.

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Do Real Madrid need Hazard, though? Zidane will lead an overhaul of the tired and creaking squad at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, with outgoings expected along with incomings. Real Madrid never really replaced Cristiano Ronaldo and Hazard is seen by many as the natural successor to the Portuguese forward.

It’s certainly true that Hazard as the strength of personality to handle the pressure that comes with being a ‘Galactico.’ He has been building up to this moment his entire career and so it’s unsurprising that the Belgian has ramped up his performances for Chelsea just as speculation has come to a head.

But what about his positional use to Real Madrid? Hazard, by trade, plays on the left wing. That is, arguably, where Real Madrid are best equipped for the future, with Vinicius Junior the youthful face of the club after a breakthrough season. Zidane also has Marco Asensio in that position. So where would Hazard fit in?

Could he play on the right side? That’s Gareth Bale’s position right now, but the Welshman could be sold to make way for Hazard, so there could be a gap to fill there. But that would require Hazard to adapt his natural game. Are Real Madrid really going to pay £100 million for the Belgian only to turn him into a different player?

Zidane could feasibly use Hazard through the middle, behind Karim Benzema as the central striker. The Belgian has played there before in his career, but not always to great effect. So while Hazard might be destined to pitch up at Real Madrid this summer, it’s not yet clear where he will actually fit in.

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Zidane’s Real Madrid rebuild not just about attracting new ‘Galacticos’

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The speculation started swirling almost as soon as Zinedine Zidane walked through the Santiago Bernabeu door again. The Frenchman’s return as Real Madrid manager was a shock, not least because of the way he’d left the club just nine months previously. His relationship with Florentino Perez, it was said, had broken down over direction and transfers, or a lack thereof, so Zidane surely got what he wanted in being lured back.

Indeed, Real Madrid are expected to make big moves in the transfer market this summer. Zidane will be afforded the freedom to mould his team as he likes, with a deal for Porto defender Militao already secured. But other, more illustrious names have been linked – the likes of Eden Hazard, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar etc.

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Zidane’s rebuild should be about more than just attracting a new generation of ‘Galacticos,’ though. This was demonstrated by the performance of three players in particular as the Frenchman got off to a winning start in his second stint as Real Madrid manager with victory over Celta Vigo last weekend.

Having been ostracised by previous manager Santiago Solari, Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale and Isco were all handed starts by Zidane and all three repaid that faith, with the latter two scoring. It was a reminder of the under-utilised talent that remains at the Santiago Bernabeu. Neither Santiago nor Julen Lopetegui made the most of that.

Questions remain over Bale. The Welshman’s relationship with Zidane wasn’t the warmest, leading him to make comments after last season’s Champions League final suggesting a move away from Real Madrid was on the cards. Bale only stayed because Zidane left, so the return of the former Ballon d’Or winner rakes up old questions.

Asensio and Isco, on the other hand, were seen as the future of Real Madrid by Zidane in his first spell. Asensio, in particular, flourished under the Frenchman, when he looked like one of the best young players in the European game. Since then, Asensio has lost his way, but his performance against Celta Vigo suggests confidence is flowing back into his game.

It’s certainly true that Real Madrid need rejuvenation. They need a new direction and new players in the transfer market this summer. But they also need to make the most of what they have got. They haven’t done that this season, but Zidane might be the man to change this.

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Real Madrid all but surrender late title bid with shock defeat to Girona

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Real Madrid v Girona

Last Sunday morning, the Santiago Bernabeu bore witness to what may well have been the end of Real Madrid’s thin hopes of a late La Liga title challenge.

The Spanish giants and current Champions League holders stumbled to a 2-1 defeat to bottom-half side Girona in front of their disillusioned fans.

Girona are enjoying only their third season in the top flight of Spanish football having been promoted to La Liga for the first time in 2016.

Let’s take a look at the fantasy football heroes and zeroes after this surprise win for the Catalonian club.

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Marco Asensio’s comments reveal Real Madrid problems

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There was a moment last season, just a few weeks into the 2017/18 campaign, when Marco Asensio looked to have taken that next step. With one particularly stunning strike in the Spanish SuperCopa win over Barcelona in August, he became the vanguard of the next generation. A world beater.

Over the course of the season, though, Asensio lost his way. Zinedine Zidane seemingly lost faith in the youngster, who was a peripheral figure by the time Real Madrid went on to win their third successive Champions League title. There were even rumours that he could leave the Spanish capital, with a move to the Premier League mooted.

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The summer, and Zidane’s exit, should have been a fresh start for Asensio. Julen Lopetegui was a manager renowned for his faith in young, homegrown talent and had got the best out of Asensio during his time as Spain coach. And yet with Lopetegui gone and Santiago Solari already appointed as his replacement, Asensio is still a shadow of his former self.

Comments made by the 22-year-old this week, on the same day that Solari’s appointment was confirmed, were revealing of the nature of the Real Madrid dressing room this season. “For me, I don’t see Madrid in a crisis,” he insisted in an interview. “And I don’t think it’s for me to carry the team – there are players who are much more experienced, have more years playing under their belts and more status than I have and they’re the ones who have to lead the team. When the new coach arrived I started off playing but now I am getting less chances but we’ll draw any conclusions when the season has ended.”

These remarks painted a picture of a dressing room lacking in leadership. Much has been made of Real Madrid’s failure to replace the goals lost through the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer, but they also lost his character and driving spirit. Ronaldo dragged his teammates through stages of last season and without him Real Madrid have become spineless.

The argument could be made that as a 22-year-old with not much in the way of top tier experience, Asensio shouldn’t be the one to carry and lead Real Madrid. But this is a player who is tipped as a future Ballon d’Or winner, he could go on to become one of the best players in the game, and with that quality comes a burden of responsibility.

Asensio is one of the players who must raise his game to help Real Madrid out of the hole they currently find themselves in, and he can’t rely on others to take the lead. The likes of Asensio, Isco, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale need to take responsibility for their own performances, but this week has revealed the true extent of the problems Solari has inherited.

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Real Madrid edge closer to Conte appointment

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Antonio-Conte-Chelsea-Italy-Spain

Real Madrid are set to announce Antonio Conte as their new boss in the coming days, in the wake of their 5-1 La Liga thrashing away at Barcelona last weekend.

That defeat at the Camp Nou is likely to be the death knell for Julen Lopetegui as manager of the 2017-18 Champions League winners, with his departure in the offing.

Club President Florentino Perez, famous for his ruthlessness and lack of patience with managers, is set to confirm Lopetegui’s departure before the end of the week.

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