Would the real Marco Asensio please stand up

Real Madrid's goal drought continues, with the club just 55 minutes from setting a new club record for profligacy in front of goal.

Asensio was the last man to find the net for 'Los Blancos', with his strike in the 1-0 victory over Espanyol back on September 22 starting a drought that has now lasted almost seven hours of football.

The 22-year-old ended last season having scored 11 goals and laid on six assists in 2,863 minutes of game time spread over 53 games. At the same stage of last season Asensio had five goals to his name, two coming in the UEFA Super Cup and the other three in LaLiga.

Compared to those figures, his stats from this season leave a lot to be desired, with the classy playmaker having found the net just once so far this campaign (against Espanyol) despite starting nine of Madrid's 11 games to date in all competitions.

He has gone from finding the net once every 260 minutes to once every 821, a drop that is a clear indicator of Real Madrid's toothlessness in front of goal this season.

Now, Julen Lopetegui and Madrid need him more than ever. Asensio is a shoo-in to start alongside Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema again Levante on Saturday (assuming the Welshman proves his fitness), a game which is likely to crank up the uncomfortable atmosphere around the club even more in the event of anything other than a routine win.

The starlet's incredible potential has been evident in fits and starts for several years now, but the time has come for him to grasp his first-team place by the scruff of the neck and show that he can be a reference point for this Real Madrdi team for years to come.

The stage is set.