Marco Asensio is making waves in a PSG jersey, and his stellar performance has even relegated the high-profile Goncalo Ramos to the bench.

 

Throughout the past year, Real Madrid’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, faced the challenge of finding a player to occupy the central striker position on various occasions. Initially, it was due to Karim Benzema’s injury, and later, Rodrygo suffered an injury setback. Meanwhile, despite Alvaro Rodriguez’s memorable last-minute header that equalized the Madrid derby, he hasn’t gained the full trust to play a full 90 minutes as a pure No. 9 striker.

 

As for Asensio, he hasn’t had a genuine opportunity to demonstrate his ability to lead the offensive line. Ancelotti, instead, often preferred deploying the Spaniard as a right-winger on occasion, an emergency substitute who never truly reached the zenith of his career before his knee injury. This rationale led to Asensio’s departure from the club without a contract renewal offer. Ancelotti’s intention wasn’t primarily to incorporate him into the squad, especially with the addition of other key players, rendering him an expensive backup choice.

 

Now, it appears Ancelotti might have made an erroneous judgment. Asensio, currently donning the PSG jersey, was assigned to the central striker position in Luis Enrique’s team, and he has excelled in this role. The Spaniard has netted two goals, contributed one assist, and consistently created scoring opportunities—a position that Ancelotti seemed reluctant to utilize him in. Even though it’s been just a month of competition, it’s becoming increasingly evident that Real Madrid may have parted ways with the wrong player.

 

Asensio’s possession statistics are akin to those recorded during his stint with the Spanish national team nine months ago. In the match against Lens, he had a total of 45 ball contacts, and in the Lyon match, there were 38. However, he had the freedom to maneuver, and with PSG applying pressure on their opponents during counter-attacks, Asensio was seldom compelled to play far from the goal. Consequently, Asensio delivered his highest-level performance—exerting influence with the ball and proving highly effective in crucial moments. This is precisely the type of player that Real Madrid currently needs.