Davide Ancelotti Points to Real Madrid's Most In-Form Player, Pintus Surprised

Davide Ancelotti is an essential piece within Real Madrid's coaching staff led by his father Carlo. He is one of the people who most insists on giving prominence to young players and in this case, he is doing so with Raúl Asencio. The season he is having has made even the coach realize his quality.

He has had to step up due to the injuries that accumulated in the heart of the white defense. The first casualty was Joan Martínez, another youth player who was destined to occupy a position in the first team. That anterior cruciate ligament tear was followed by the same injury for Éder Militão: the '3' verdeamarelo has already gone through that ailment twice, one in each knee.

In recent weeks, he has settled into the position as an undisputed starter in major events. He has shared the heart of the defense with Rüdiger in the Champions League round of 16 against Atlético Madrid. He has moved Tchouaméni to the midfield while Alaba continues his preparation to reach competitive rhythm.

The '35' from the Canary Islands has shown that he doesn't need an adaptation period to European elite soccer. Not only in terms of quality, a well-proven instance after intense matches in the Champions League. Another aspect that impresses about the young center-back is his physical endurance and work capacity.

Asencio Shows Great Progression

The remarkable defensive strength that characterizes Raúl Asencio is just one of the symptoms of a privileged physique that has surprised the club's head of physical preparation. Antonio Pintus closely follows his evolution and adjustment to a much higher level of demand than he was used to, at Davide Ancelotti's suggestion. Real Madrid's assistant coach has noticed this change as a result of recent matches.

The analyses of Raúl Asencio make it clear that the center-back possesses "a super-gifted physique to perform at the highest level". Dr. Pedro Luis Ripoll points out that Asencio "has started playing a match every three days as if he had been doing it all his life", a clear demonstration of his physical prowess. Carlo Ancelotti, on more than one occasion, has made it clear that there isn't much to instruct Raúl Asencio on.

The only area of work that the coaching staff would have assumed is the adjustment of his defensive strength. Although it is constantly cheered and celebrated by Santiago Bernabéu stands, it has caused certain problems in moments like the Copa del Rey round of 16. That untimely penalty committed by the '35' from the Canary Islands led to an overtime that Endrick and Arda Güler solved with their excellent connection on the field.

The growth that Raúl Asencio has shown since his arrival in the first team has been enough for Real Madrid to consider him part of the squad coached by Carlo Ancelotti. So much so that the executives led by Florentino Pérez would already be working on a renewal to extend a contract that ends, at least for now, in mid-2026.