"It doesn't matter who is in the last 16: we are Real Madrid”

Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio said that one of the keys to the tie against Manchester City was that his team was ‘very solid’ and did not want to choose between Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 of the Champions League. "Whichever one it is: we are (Real) Madrid. It doesn't matter which one it is. We're going to compete and try to get through the tie," he said on Movistar+.
Asencio did not consider himself a starter despite his good level and analysed his assist for Kylian Mbappe in the first goal of the game. "I hope there are many, many more. As long as I can help the team, I welcome it and I'm very happy to be able to help with an assist."
"They are players - like Mbappe - who make things very easy for you," he said. "It was a very complicated tie. We made up our minds about what it could be and, in both games, we were very solid, we were a team," he added.
He also explained how he experienced the moment he found out that Norway's Erling Haaland was not going to start. "We play eleven players and, whoever you put in, we have to play to the best of our ability. We are prepared to defend any player," he said.