The mistakes of Asencio and Rudiger that sink Real Madrid

Two glaring errors condemned Real Madrid on a night of exhausting work against Champions League champions PSG. Two glaring errors by Asencio and Rudiger, the starting center-back pairing against the French side, decided the Club World Cup semifinal.

The first stumble was a poor control by Asencio, previously called up for the Spanish national team and now struggling. The center-back failed to hold the ball inside the box, his control went too far, and Dembélé stole the ball from him. The Frenchman tried to dribble past Courtois, and Fabián took advantage of the rebound to score the first goal.

Asencio has had a disastrous season. He committed a penalty against Al-Hilal in the first match of the Club World Cup and was sent off against Pachuca in the second match. These were two grabs that Courtois criticized, and Xabi Alonso said were avoidable.

The second fiasco of the night was a shot in the air by Rudiger as he attempted a pass to the other center back. The ball spun between his legs and ended up on the boot of Dembélé, who launched a lightning run and beat Courtois for the second time.