Emerging Asier Illarramendi Takes Big Step for Record-Breaking Real Madrid

Surprising Carlo Ancelotti is the most difficult of tasks. And if it's possible, he never lets it be shown, typically remaining expressionless on the sideline with an almost bored demeanour as he chews his gum ever so vigorously. 

So phlegmatic is the Italian that not even Alvaro Medran's fortuitous maiden goal on Tuesday could stir him, despite the smiles and laughter seen from those who surrounded him. 

But although he's unlikely to let it be known, even Ancelotti might have been taken aback by what he saw from Asier Illarramendi in Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Ludogorets at the Bernabeu. 

Starting his third consecutive game, the Spaniard put on his finest display since his move to the capital—a performance so incisive it challenged preconceptions of his game and transcended what Ancelotti had said of his role in the lead-up to Tuesday's match. 

The manager on Monday addressed Illarramendi's positioning during his ongoing development, per the club's official website:

"

Playing in the centre or a little more to the right doesn't change a lot. Defensively, the two in the middle have the same job. He is adapting well because I'm asking him for more defensive work than attacking work.

"

The message, it seemed, was clear. Others are there to force the issue; Illarramendi's importance is pinned to his ability to sit and hold. 

Tuesday's performance, however, defied such constraints. The 24-year-old was outstanding in a wonderfully rounded display and was more than a little bit surprising in the process. 

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Threading a ball through two lines of the Ludogorets defence, the former Real Sociedad star created a golden early chance for Isco, who was denied by Vladislav Stoyanov. 

Later, he collected neatly and placed an inch-perfect pass to the feet of Cristiano Ronaldo, whose rare poor touch prevented a rasping shot with his left boot. 

Before the half was out, he found Gareth Bale cutting in from the right with another perfectly weighted ball, which required a desperate tackle to stop. 

"So this is what we paid for," thought the club's onlooking fans, with a quick second glance necessary to determine that it was indeed Illarramendi and not Luka Modric at the heart of these fluid moves.

Across a 45-minute exhibition of economical movement and positional awareness, such moments represented a significant step taken by the Basque midfielder.

Here he was in the Champions League and in front of the demanding eyes that fill the Bernabeu, picking apart a defence with consummate ease despite his defensive identity. 

And he did so when the game was still somewhat of a contest, not when it had already been won. 

Ancelotti commented on Illarramendi's performance after the match, per Inside Spanish Football:

"

He played this game at a great level, just as he has in the last two. He showed security, has distributed the ball well, got forward well. He's showing more confidence all the time. Certainly, he will be playing at the Club World Cup.

"

The timing of his fine evening couldn't have been better for Real Madrid. With Modric and James Rodriguez both injured, Sami Khedira continuing to battle with his body and Toni Kroos admittedly tiring, the emergence of a fresh Illarramendi is hugely significant for Los Blancos in their quest for sustained continental dominance.

Another central conductor can help spread the load—a point not lost on Ancelotti, who, in the wake of Tuesday's victory, expressed his confidence that the developing Spaniard is "ready to take the reins."   

If there was anything this team—one currently on a record-breaking, 19-game winning streak—needed, it was a depth of elite options at the core of the system. 

After Tuesday night, that requirement can be ticked off.

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Tantalisingly, Ancelotti now has more options at his disposal than previously thought, for Illarramendi's showing against Ludogorets has shown he's capable of covering vastly more than just a narrowly defined holding hole. 

He can play in tandem with Kroos. He can play alongside Modric. He can anchor Isco and Rodriguez.

Whether pushing forward, sitting back, passing incisively or defending soundly, the Basque midfielder can plug the gaps where needed based on the evidence of Tuesday's complete display.

It's a big step in his emergence.