Things have been slow for Marco Asensio in Paris, to say the least – but now the Spaniard is really blossoming at Aston Villa and is looking forward to a quick reunion with Paris.
Marco Asensio made a name for himself at Real Madrid, celebrated great successes, won the Champions League three times (2017, 2018 and 2022) and also became Spanish champion three times (2017, 2020, 2022). However, the 38-time Spanish international never made it into the starting lineup and left the royal family in 2023 after 256 games and 50 goals for Paris. But at PSG, the 29-year-old quickly fell on the sidelines and did not get beyond the role of a substitute.
Then, in the winter, a loan move to England to Aston Villa – and this went completely to plan, also because he is increasingly being used in the number 10 position again. The left-footed player shone in the Champions League quarter-final against Bruges with three goals, one in the first leg (3:1) and two in the second leg (3:0). Asensio has emerged like a phoenix from the ashes, scoring five goals in the past five weeks – by way of comparison, he only managed six in a year and a half at PSG.
Radiant in the premier class
Asensio is not yet a regular in the Villans’ starting lineup. In both games against Bruges, he was substituted on by coach Unai Emery, and in two of his four Premier League appearances, he was also only used as a substitute, while he was substituted out in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool. He did, however, play the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 win over Chelsea, scoring both goals.
The Spaniard particularly shone in the Champions League, where he was not only named man of the match against the Belgians, but also once again lived up to his reputation as a player for important games. His brace against Bruges were his 14th and 15th goals in the Champions League; 11 of which he scored in the knockout stages. He will be keen to add to this tally in the quarter-finals, especially as he will be taking on none other than Paris St. Germain.