Spain manager praises breakout Real Madrid youngster – ‘He’s playing very well’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s comeback win over Manchester City was in the trademark ‘Real Madrid way’ as Los Blancos pulled off two late goals to overturn a 2-1 deficit.

Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and the midfield were great at the Etihad Stadium and have all received their flowers.

The defence, however, deserves a special mention, especially considering how the manager did not have any of his three first-choice defenders available on the night.

Aurelien Tchouameni did well to play out of position, but it was Raul Asencio who stole the limelight with a mature performance at the back and a dominant presence as a leader.

Spain manager praises Asencio

Speaking to the media recently, Spanish national team manager Luis de la Fuente was asked about the rise of Raul Asencio at Real Madrid and the possibility of him being called up to the senior national team dynamics.

De la Fuente has been impressed by Raul Asencio. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

“He’s a very good player. He is playing and having game-time now, which is what we need. He’s playing very well and had a very good game against City,” he began, acknowledging the star’s rise via El Desmarque.

Concurrently, however, De la Fuente maintained that there was very serious competition for a place in La Roja, especially in central defence where the likes of Pau Cubarsi and Dean Huijsen in great form.

“It’s very difficult to get into the national team. There are very good players in all Spanish teams.”

While the competition may indeed be cut-throat, performing at the highest level with Real Madrid is something that cannot be ignored for long.

Should the 21-year-old keep up his great run of form and confidence, a first call-up to La Roja may not be far off. Needless to say, it will be highly dependent even on the legal proceedings against him and how they pan out.