Raúl Asencio: From the new star to the frustrated, a comprehensive analysis of Real Madrid s defense crisis

In the 2025 Club World Cup, Real Madrid centre-back Raúl Asencio's performance is a disaster level. He was once highly anticipated, but now he has become a weak link in the team's defense line. Let's go from peak to low, and deeply analyze the player's season ups and downs and the deep reasons behind the Real Madrid central defender's dilemma.

Introduction: From the Season Star to the Frustrated Club World Cup At the beginning of this season, Raúl Asencio successfully impressed Ancelotti with his stable performance and occupied a place in Real Madrid's defense. Especially in the regular season, his outstanding performance as a central defender has won praise from fans and the media, and even prompted the club to renew his contract until 2031. However, the halo of all this faded rapidly in the Club World Cup, and his low-level mistakes in three consecutive games made people question his future.

Real Madrid's central defender's dilemma: sufficient personnel but difficult to hide the quality shortcomings

At present, Real Madrid's central defender reserves seem to be sufficient: Rudiger, Alaba, Militon, Huyson and Chu Améni, who occasionally plays a central defender. However, quantitative abundance has not made up for quality defects. Rudiger and Alaba were questioned due to injuries and decline in form. Although Militon had outstanding performances, he still found it difficult to stand on his own defense. Although Huyson has potential, his experience is still insignificant. Although Chu Ameni can play a cameo, she is not a pure central defender after all. This "many but not refined" dilemma has frequently seen loopholes in Real Madrid's defensive system. Asencio's three disasters: How low-level mistakes dragged down Real Madrid

in the first game of the Club World Cup, Asencio sent an unnecessary penalty kick, which directly led to the opponent equalizing the score. Head coach Xavi Alonso replaced him in the half, obviously extremely dissatisfied with his performance. In the second game against Pachuca, he was sent off for a reckless foul in just seven minutes, forcing the team to fight hard with one less person. In the last game against Paris Saint-Germain, he made another defensive mistake and let the opponent seize the opportunity to score. The mistakes in these three games not only cost Real Madrid a heavy price, but also cast a shadow on Asencio's career.

The Rise of Huyson: A bright color in the crisis

While Asencio's condition is in a downturn, young central defender Huyson seizes the opportunity to gradually emerge. He showed a steady performance against Paris Saint-Germain, showing calmness and maturity beyond age. Although his lack of experience is still a hidden concern, he has become a new force in Real Madrid's defense. For Real Madrid, Huyson's rise is both an opportunity and a pressure - how to ensure the immediate combat effectiveness of the defense while cultivating young players? This is a problem that Harvey Alonso must solve.

Konaté's potential signings: is it an antidote or a new bet?

Real Madrid's central defender dilemma also made the club begin to consider signings. Liverpool centre-back Konaté has become a potential target. The French player is known for his physical fitness and defensive ability. If he can join Real Madrid, it will bring stability to the team's defense line. However, Konaté's worth is as high as 60 million euros, and it remains unknown whether this deal can be sold. In addition, whether he can adapt to Real Madrid's tactical system is also a risk point. Signing aid is important, but whether blindly investing huge amounts of money can solve the fundamental problem is worth pondering.

Future Outlook: How to Rebuild Real Madrid's Defense Line

In order to avoid the recurrence of similar dilemmas, Real Madrid needs to formulate a long-term defense reconstruction strategy. On the one hand, we can increase the training of young players such as Huyson to reserve defensive talents for the future; on the other hand, the club needs to re-examine the status of the existing central defender and make decisive adjustments to players who do not meet tactical needs. In addition, on the tactical level, Xavi Alonso may be able to try more flexible formations, such as the three-center-back system, to adapt to the higher defense requirements of modern football.

Conclusion: From personal mistakes to team crisis, the far-reaching impact of the Asencio incident

Raúl Asencio's performance in the Club World Cup not only affected his personal career, but also exposed the overall problems of Real Madrid's defense. This crisis reminds us that football is not only a contest of personal abilities, but also an art of teamwork. If Real Madrid wants to continue to be competitive in the coming season, they must learn from this incident and build a more stable and reliable defensive system.