Vinícius isn't the only one: maldini publicly and harshly calls out this Madridist

One of the undisputed protagonists of the match between Real Madrid and Pachuca, on the second day of the Club World Cup group stage, is Raúl Asencio. The young Canary Islands center-back is emerging as one of the players chosen by Xabi Alonso for the starting defense of the "new" first team.

His performance, however, has been leaving much to be desired since the start of the tournament organized by FIFA. His lackluster display during the first half of the match against Al-Hilal, in addition to the early sending off against Pachuca itself, have placed him at the center of some speculation.

So much so that the "35" in white himself has spoken out, through his social media, to put an end to any debate and set the main goal to achieve from now on. That doesn't exempt him from criticism and negative comments for his performance in the match at Bank of America Stadium.

Julio Maldonado has singled him out in his video analyzing the match in Charlotte. The footballer "was sent off in the 7th minute for a play that was totally avoidable", in clear reference to the incident with Salomón Rondón that earned him the red card. The verdict on the young Spanish center-back is extremely harsh.

Sentenced right away

"Leaving your team with ten in an avoidable play, I insist, in the seventh minute, well, it has to be a zero", says Julio Maldonado. The analyst makes it clear that the performance of the player trained at La Fábrica was as brief as it was disappointing in the match against Mexican Pachuca. "There's just no other way," Maldini defends himself.

The journalist points out that "I only give zeros in very specific cases, a self-inflicted sending off or an early sending off in a very avoidable play" like the one Asencio was involved in. Julio Maldonado's conclusion about the merengue footballer ended with one last comment: "he's having a truly horrible Club World Cup".

Raúl Asencio's progression has come to a sudden halt during the first two matches. The white footballer's performance had made him one of the most important center-backs in the white squad, leaving Xabi Alonso certain that he has more than enough options. That situation, despite the "horrible" Club World Cup so far, hasn't changed.

Especially since the "35" from Madrid has made it clear that the goal is to recover the good feelings and performance from last season. Xabi Alonso will wait for the player who, according to his coaching staff, is currently the best option to partner Dean Huijsen at the heart of the first team's defense.