Real Madrid teenager Marco Asensio is emerging
as one of La Liga's breakout stars on loan at
Espanyol, writes Nick Wright…
It has only taken eight La Liga appearances for
Marco Asensio to show what the fuss is about.
After racing through the youth ranks at Mallorca
and earning a £2.5m transfer to Real Madrid last
year, the 19-year-old's ascent to stardom is
rapidly gathering pace at Espanyol, who he joined
on a season-long loan in August.
While Asensio's parent club chase major honours
under Rafael Benitez, expectations are rather
different at Espanyol, who are aiming to
consolidate last year's 10th-placed finish this
season. Results have been up and down so far,
but their precocious playmaker has shone,
adding star quality to a functional side and
topping La Liga's assist charts with four.
In Spain, the excitement surrounding Asensio has
been building since he broke into Mallorca's first
team two years ago. The gifted attacker
impressed in challenging circumstances following
their relegation to the second tier, and this
summer Espanyol were one of a host of clubs
battling to borrow him from Madrid. It was the
second time in a year that there has been an
almighty struggle for his signature.
"There was a fight between Barcelona, Real
Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and many
others to get him from Mallorca," Spanish
football expert Guillem Balague tells Sky Sports.
"He decided to go to Real Madrid, and despite
everybody in the first division wanting him in the
summer, he decided to go on loan to Espanyol
because it's close to his family."
Asensio's move to Madrid was confirmed in
December but he stayed at Mallorca for the rest
of last season, and the switch to Espanyol came
after he inspired Spain's U19s to European
Championship glory in Greece. Asensio scored
twice in the semi-final against France, and his
extraordinary reverse-pass assist saw them past
Russia in the final. He was named player of the
tournament, and Madrid decided regular top-
level football was the next step in his
development.
Asensio had never played in La Liga before this
season, but he made an immediate impact for
Espanyol. On his debut against Real Sociedad he
sprang the offside trap and won a penalty in a 3-2
win, and three days later his superb, inswinging
free kick from the right flank led to their winning
goal at home to Valencia.
While his assist tally stands at four, Asensio has
actually been instrumental in more than half of
Espanyol's 12 goals so far. His creativity has been
impressive by anyone's standards, and in La Liga
only an esteemed trio of Neymar, Nolito and
Luka Modric have fashioned scoring chances
more regularly. Asensio is level with a certain
Lionel Messi on 2.3 chances created per game,
which puts him ahead of the likes of Andres
Iniesta, Isco and Antoine Griezmann.
But the statistics only tell part of the story for a
player who is equally comfortable as the No 10 or
on the flanks. Asensio's pace and dribbling ability
make him a formidable weapon on the counter-
attack, his vision and range of passing are
outstanding, and he has shown the strength of
character to cope with increasingly rough
treatment from battle-hardened defenders.
A hat-trick of assists in a 3-1 win over Real Betis
last month was the highlight of his season so far,
but Asensio has shone in adversity, too. He set up
Felipe Caicedo's stoppage-time equaliser against
Granada last weekend, and it was his driving run
and pinpoint cross-field pass which led to
Espanyol's goal in Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Athletic
Bilbao
Manager Sergio Gonzalez described him as
"magic" before he had even kicked a ball for
Espanyol, and he has made an impression on his
team-mates, too. "He has it all," says striker
Gerard Moreno, who is playing with Asensio for a
second time after a loan spell at Mallorca in
2013/14. "He is a spectacular player, and as a
person, he's a 10 out of 10."
The boy from Mallorca has already become a key
player for Espanyol and graduated to Spain's
U21s, so what does the future hold? "There have
been rumours that Real Madrid might want him
back in January but I can tell you that that's not
the case, they want him to stay at Espanyol until
the end of the season," says Balague
History shows young players rarely make it as far
as Real Madrid's first team, but belief is building
that Asensio is different. "He's going to be a
superstar," adds Balague. "He's got a fantastic left
foot, great work rate, and he can play as a No 10.
He could be the star of Real Madrid in two or
three years' time. I like him more than Isco. They
have both got a lot of quality but in Asensio I see
something else. I see more of a goalscorer."
Asensio is still waiting for his first goal in an
Espanyol shirt, but it seems like another
inevitability on a relentless rise to the top. "It's
great that Espanyol can enjoy him," says Balague.
"Being an Espanyol fan myself, every time I see
him play I shed a tear because it's one less game
he will play for us. Maybe we can convince him to
stay for an extra year on loan…" Next summer,
you sense Real Madrid won't be so receptive to
offers.
as one of La Liga's breakout stars on loan at
Espanyol, writes Nick Wright…
It has only taken eight La Liga appearances for
Marco Asensio to show what the fuss is about.
After racing through the youth ranks at Mallorca
and earning a £2.5m transfer to Real Madrid last
year, the 19-year-old's ascent to stardom is
rapidly gathering pace at Espanyol, who he joined
on a season-long loan in August.
While Asensio's parent club chase major honours
under Rafael Benitez, expectations are rather
different at Espanyol, who are aiming to
consolidate last year's 10th-placed finish this
season. Results have been up and down so far,
but their precocious playmaker has shone,
adding star quality to a functional side and
topping La Liga's assist charts with four.
In Spain, the excitement surrounding Asensio has
been building since he broke into Mallorca's first
team two years ago. The gifted attacker
impressed in challenging circumstances following
their relegation to the second tier, and this
summer Espanyol were one of a host of clubs
battling to borrow him from Madrid. It was the
second time in a year that there has been an
almighty struggle for his signature.
"There was a fight between Barcelona, Real
Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and many
others to get him from Mallorca," Spanish
football expert Guillem Balague tells Sky Sports.
"He decided to go to Real Madrid, and despite
everybody in the first division wanting him in the
summer, he decided to go on loan to Espanyol
because it's close to his family."
Asensio's move to Madrid was confirmed in
December but he stayed at Mallorca for the rest
of last season, and the switch to Espanyol came
after he inspired Spain's U19s to European
Championship glory in Greece. Asensio scored
twice in the semi-final against France, and his
extraordinary reverse-pass assist saw them past
Russia in the final. He was named player of the
tournament, and Madrid decided regular top-
level football was the next step in his
development.
Asensio had never played in La Liga before this
season, but he made an immediate impact for
Espanyol. On his debut against Real Sociedad he
sprang the offside trap and won a penalty in a 3-2
win, and three days later his superb, inswinging
free kick from the right flank led to their winning
goal at home to Valencia.
While his assist tally stands at four, Asensio has
actually been instrumental in more than half of
Espanyol's 12 goals so far. His creativity has been
impressive by anyone's standards, and in La Liga
only an esteemed trio of Neymar, Nolito and
Luka Modric have fashioned scoring chances
more regularly. Asensio is level with a certain
Lionel Messi on 2.3 chances created per game,
which puts him ahead of the likes of Andres
Iniesta, Isco and Antoine Griezmann.
But the statistics only tell part of the story for a
player who is equally comfortable as the No 10 or
on the flanks. Asensio's pace and dribbling ability
make him a formidable weapon on the counter-
attack, his vision and range of passing are
outstanding, and he has shown the strength of
character to cope with increasingly rough
treatment from battle-hardened defenders.
A hat-trick of assists in a 3-1 win over Real Betis
last month was the highlight of his season so far,
but Asensio has shone in adversity, too. He set up
Felipe Caicedo's stoppage-time equaliser against
Granada last weekend, and it was his driving run
and pinpoint cross-field pass which led to
Espanyol's goal in Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Athletic
Bilbao
Manager Sergio Gonzalez described him as
"magic" before he had even kicked a ball for
Espanyol, and he has made an impression on his
team-mates, too. "He has it all," says striker
Gerard Moreno, who is playing with Asensio for a
second time after a loan spell at Mallorca in
2013/14. "He is a spectacular player, and as a
person, he's a 10 out of 10."
The boy from Mallorca has already become a key
player for Espanyol and graduated to Spain's
U21s, so what does the future hold? "There have
been rumours that Real Madrid might want him
back in January but I can tell you that that's not
the case, they want him to stay at Espanyol until
the end of the season," says Balague
History shows young players rarely make it as far
as Real Madrid's first team, but belief is building
that Asensio is different. "He's going to be a
superstar," adds Balague. "He's got a fantastic left
foot, great work rate, and he can play as a No 10.
He could be the star of Real Madrid in two or
three years' time. I like him more than Isco. They
have both got a lot of quality but in Asensio I see
something else. I see more of a goalscorer."
Asensio is still waiting for his first goal in an
Espanyol shirt, but it seems like another
inevitability on a relentless rise to the top. "It's
great that Espanyol can enjoy him," says Balague.
"Being an Espanyol fan myself, every time I see
him play I shed a tear because it's one less game
he will play for us. Maybe we can convince him to
stay for an extra year on loan…" Next summer,
you sense Real Madrid won't be so receptive to
offers.
