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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has praised Vinicius Jr. and Marco Asensio after his team's 3-1 La Liga win over Sevilla on Saturday (October 22).
Both players made an impact on the night as Los Blancos beat a resilient Sevilla side at the Santiago Bernabeu to go six points clear at the top. While Vinicius provided two assists, Asensio provided one and virtually made the second goal for the 14-time European champions.
The Brazilian winger started the game and helped Madrid take the lead in the fifth minute. He won the ball and ran towards the Sevilla box, cutting inside and setting up Luka Modric to finish from close range.
Erik Lamela equalised for the visitors in the 54th minute. With the scores level, Ancelotti brought on Asensio in the 77th minute to replace Modric. The move would pay immediate dividends.
Just two minutes later, the Spaniard played a lovely through ball to Vinicius, who passed it to Lucas Vazquez for an easy finish. Asensio then also got an assist for the third goal, which the in-form Federico Valverde blasted from outside the box to rubber-stamp the win.
After the game, Ancelotti was all praise for Asensio, saying (via Real Madrid's website):
“He’s a great player who’s capable of playing for Real Madrid. He’s making the most of the limited game time I’m giving him, and he’s deserving of more. Both he and Vini Jr. were the difference makers today.”
With the win, Los Blancos now have 31 points from 11 games, six more than second-placed Barcelona, who face Atheltic Club on Sunday (October 23).
Marco Asensio will look to get more game time as Vinicius Jr. shines again for Real Madrid
Asensio's contract with Los Blancos expires next summer, and there was speculation about his future in the summer as well. He eventually ended up staying at the Bernabeu but is yet to start in any competition.
He has made 11 appearances off the bench this season, scoring twice and providing an assist. He will hope that his impactful cameos can help him break into Ancelotti's starting XI soon.
Vinicius, meanwhile, has been Real Madrid's main man this season, registering seven goals and six assists in 16 games across competitions.
While Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema has struggled with injuries, Vinicius has been in scintillating form, enabling the club to remain unbeaten across competitions this season.
The Merengues will next face RB Leipzig away in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (October 25).
