Why Real Madrid's Raul Asencio Didn't Start vs. Barcelona in Spanish Super Cup Rout | OneFootball

Raúl Asencio could only sit and watch as Real Madrid conceded five goals to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Real Madrid's defensive injury woes opened the door for 21-year-old Raúl Asencio to debut for the first team back in November. With Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, David Alaba and Aurélien Tchouaméni sidelined, the center back went from playing for Real Madrid Castilla to playing against Liverpool at Anfield within less than a month. And he impressed in each appearance, even in Los Blancos' defeats.

Yet once Tchouaméni returned from injury, the Frenchman took Asencio's spot in Real Madrid's backline, sending the talented youngster to the bench. Real Madrid got bye against inferior teams with Tchouaméni, a natural midfielder, playing alongside Antonio Rüdiger, but were exposed against threatening attacks, like Athletic Bilbao and Atalanta.

The glaring warning signs were there, but Ancelotti still left Asencio on the bench in the Spanish Super Cup final, which turned out to be Real Madrid's worse defensive performance in recent memory. Even more surprising was the center back did not feature in the match until Real Madrid let in five goals.

Why Real Madrid's Raul Asencio Didn't Start vs. Barcelona in Spanish Super Cup Rout

Asencio only got the chance to play against the Catalans in the Spanish Super Cup final for 38 minutes. In that time, he misplaced just one pass and won all of his tackles and duels. Los Blancos could not mount a comeback, though, and lost the match 2–5 to their biggest rivals with the entire world watching.

Ancelotti Addresses Real Madrid's Poor Defense

After the game, Ancelotti was asked about Tchouaméni's poor performance and responded, "Tchouaméni? We haven't defended well as a team. There's no need to name anyone."

Of course, there is some truth to Ancelotti's statement. Lucas Vázquez was virtually hopeless against Raphinha, Eduardo Camavinga conceded a penalty and Ferland Mendy was outclassed in every aspect by 17-year-old Lamine Yamal. But Tchouaméni was either out of position or beaten on almost every goal Barcelona scored from open play, all while Asencio remained on the sidelines.

To Real Madrid fans, though, the decision to leave Asencio out of the starting XI came as no surprise.

Ancelotti Trusts Tchouaméni

Ever since Tchouaméni played as an emergency center back last season, Ancelotti has favored the midfielder over any possible Real Madrid Castilla talent. The Italian manager tends to stick with experienced players over giving youngsters a true chance to break into the first team. He even deployed Fede Valverde at right back this season over Lorenzo Aguado, a natural right back putting in solid performances for Real Madrid Castilla.

Ancelotti trusts his superstar first team players to adapt to different roles and do whatever is necessary to help the team win, even when there are better options elsewhere. After all, a similar strategy saw Real Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga last season.

Ancelotti Remains Unconcerned With Giving Young Players Minutes

The Real Madrid boss said it best himself back in November when asked about his reluctance to give Endrick and Arda Güler minutes. "The objective is to turn [the team's poor performances] around, that is the priority. Not to give minutes to one player or another.”

The statement applies to the questions being asked from Real Madrid supporters about Asencio's lack of playing time in the Spanish Super Cup final. It was obvious 30 minutes into the match that Los Blancos' starting backline was no match for Hansi Flick's attack, yet a change in defense was not made until Real Madrid were trailing by four goals.

Perhaps the embarrassing El Clásico performance was enough for Ancelotti to change his tune about giving young talent the chance to help the team moving forward. Otherwise, the team will continue to concede goals at a rapid rate all while a homegrown, physical, smart defender wastes away on the bench.