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Real Madrid dropped their first points of the campaign with a hard fought 2-2 draw against an impressive Valencia side at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Marco Asensio opened the scoring in the 10th minute, but that was cancelled out by Carlos Soler 8 minutes later. Geoffrey Kondogbia gave Valencia the lead in the 77th minute only for Asensio to rescue a point with a stunning free-kick in the 83rd minute.
Here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 The first cracks appear in Real Madrid's armour
Despite the fact that Real Madrid had just swatted aside the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United just a couple of weeks ago, plenty of pundits got it right ahead of the game by predicting that Valencia would come away with something, as they've troubled Madrid in recent history.
The absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos was keenly felt, as Madrid lacked the final 5% that so often pushes them over the line - 6 of the 7 goals Ramos scored last season were at the Bernabeu and it won Madrid 10 points.
Marco Asensio did his best, but Real Madrid didn't have the X-factor overall. What should worry the rest of La Liga is that even moments after the game ended, Dani Carvajal spoke about 'perspective' and the fact that we were only '2 games' into the season. When a team surrounded by a media circus is so calm amidst an injury crisis having dropped crucial points, things will return to normal sooner rather than later.
#2 The omens look good for Marcelino
What was telling in the final moments of the game was Valencia boss Marcelino putting a striker on and going for the win. This isn't a team likely to get beaten 7-0 by Barcelona and give up the ghost - Los Che look like a club that's remembering its status and prestige.
You could have forgiven the visitors for letting their heads drop when Asensio scored in the 10th minute, but no - Valencia youngsters Carlos Soler and Toni Lato combined to level things up minutes later. Marcelino is the perfect manager to oversee the development of these youths, having had great success with the youngsters at Villarreal.
If anything, Valencia may be disappointed to have not walked away with all three points after Geoffrey Kondogbia gave them the lead with 13 minutes to go.
This is a team whose new signings seem to have accepted their manager's beliefs and are gelling together with some very promising youngsters. Expect Valencia to challenge for Europe this season.
#3 Casemiro excels at centre-back
Probably the biggest worry facing Real Madrid fans going into the game was the fact that they only had 1 fit central defender in the form of Nacho. As it turned out, Casemiro filled in at centre-half, and performed like he'd been playing there for much of his life.
The Brazilian's composure when under pressure was severely tested by the Valencia forwards' high press, but Casemiro more often than not picked a clever pass to bail out Madrid. Given Madrid's penchant for breaking forward en masse, Casemiro came to his teammates' rescue time and again, bailing them out with more than a few last ditch tackles.
If anything, the fact that Madrid conceded twice was down to Valencia scoring two very good goals, although Nacho and Casemiro could have improved their communication for both of the visitor's goals.
Either way, Madrid's injury crisis isn't as bad as first feared.
#4 Marco Asensio is the real deal
There have been plenty of Madrid based pundits who have cautioned the watching public against hyping Marco Asensio up too much - with good reason too - the Bernabeu has witnessed its fair share of promising, albeit overhyped youngsters who've faded away.
There's nothing 'over' about the hype surrounding Asensio - this boy is the real deal. He plays with an effusive swagger that commands the team, with experienced campaigners like Modric, Kroos and Benzema yielding to him tonight, always looking to find him with the ball.
And when they did, oh my - Asensio's first goal was in even before he let fly with his wand of a left foot - such is the certainty associated with him. The Spaniard floated all over the pitch and ought to have had a hat-trick of assists only for Benzema to let him down.
When the Bernabeu needed a saviour at 2-1 down, there was no Ramos or Ronaldo to turn too. Up stepped Asensio, and with a stunning free-kick that even Ronaldo hasn't been capable of the last few seasons, the Spaniard wrote himself into this storied club's history.
We're witnessing the birth of a star here, and what a star he is.
#5 The Bernabeu shouldn't be harsh on Karim Benzema
It takes a strong man to live with the jeers and boos of the Bernabeu for over 8 seasons. Many have come and wilted under the pressure to perform, but Benzema remains a constant, despite the fact that his home crowd have never fully taken to him.
There's a reason why Zinedine Zidane and Florentino Perez continue to back the French striker - his selfless nature allows those around him to thrive. Witness his run for Asensio's goal - he drags a centre-back out of position, allowing the Spanish youngster to find acres of space to weak havoc.
However, it would be fair to say that Benzema ought to have score 5 times tonight. The Frenchman missed a 'relatively' open goal, drew a stunning save from Neto in the dying minutes, and hit the post twice. A goal would have taken him past the legendary Gento's tally for Real Madrid, and is simply was not Benzema's night. He may be blamed by the Bernabeu for the draw, but if there is a certainty in this world, it is that Benzema will turn up in the next game.
