Inevitably, Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the pre and post-match chatter as Real Madrid took on Juventus in the International Champions Cup.
Though the Portuguese was nowhere to be seen, both coaches had to face a series of questions relating to his impact.
How would Los Blancos cope without his goals, and what would he bring to the Bianconeri?
The first part of the question was answered in part during the match as Marco Asensio took to the false nine role like a duck to water.
Under Zinedine Zidane, the young Spaniard was predominantly used on the wings, but Julen Lopetegui evidently envisages something a little different.
That’s not to say that Asensio will always be played through the centre, but he certainly offered enough against the Old Lady to suggest his coach has other options when required.
His movement was exceptional as he drifted between the lines with ease, and we saw his trademark bursts of speed when required.
Linking up well with the more bullish Vinicius Junior, it was easy to see the green shoots of an embryonic relationship taking hold.
There’s still a suggestion that Florentino Perez wants to bring in a big-name centre-forward before the window shuts, and that’s his prerogative of course.
However, having watched the game himself on Sunday, and seeing that Asensio was the best player on the pitch despite only playing forty-five minutes, he might decide to save his pennies for a rainy day.
After all, Real are looking sharp under Lopetegui, and with each passing day the players are getting to grips with what the coach is asking of them.
It shouldn’t really come as a shock that Asensio is flourishing under the new man in charge either.
At national team level, Lopetegui was unbeaten in his 20 games before getting sacked, and almost to a man, his squad would espouse his virtues as a tactician.
Bringing that same way of working to club level, and with the dominating presence of Ronaldo now out of the way, was always going to be of benefit to the Spanish players in the side.
Ahead of the first big game of the season, the UEFA Super Cup against Atletico Madrid on August 15, Los Blancos still have to play Roma.
That game will give Lopetegui another chance to assess Asensio’s credentials as a false nine, and should he pass the test, don’t be surprised to find him popping up there during the league season, especially if injuries to key staff force his hand.
