Real Madrid 2 Valencia 2: Marco Asensio spares Zinedine Zidane’s blushes with two wonder goals at the Bernabeu
The 21-year-old opened the scoring and netted the last goal as his late free-kick earned a point for Los Blancos as Karim Benzema missed six key chances
MARCO ASENSIO showed why he is rated as one of Europe's brightest talents as his brace earned Real Madrid a point as they drew 2-2 to Valencia.
The 21-year-old opened the scoring early on, before firing in a late equalising free-kick to cancel out Geoffrey Kondogbia's debut goal.
Madrid's starlet Asensio got Zinedine Zidane's side off to the perfect start as he beautifully dispatched his left-footed effort in the tenth minute.
Picking up a loose ball just outside the area, he bent the ball into the bottom left corner past goalkeeper Neto who didn't even attempt to stop the scorcher.
However their lead didn't last long, as just eight minutes later the away side were level as Carlos Soler tapped home from inside the six yard box to silence the home supporters.
The 20-year-old midfielder swept home with his left foot after Toni Lato whipped in a glorious low pass from the left flank.
Madrid then missed an abundance of chances through striker Karim Benzema, as he was first denied by a fine diving save from Neto, before he side-footed over the bar, and then glanced his header just wide of the post just before the break.
Neto was then called into action six minutes into the second period - tipping Casemiro's long-range drive behind for a corner.
It was then Marcelino Garcia Toral's men to have their heads in their hands, as Geoffrey Kondogbia - on loan from Inter Milan, made a hash of his header at the back post.
Gareth Bale was the next man to be foiled in his attempts to score - his header from Asensio's pass went just wide of the post in the 66th minute.
Keylor Navas then expertly tipped over Dani Parejo's curling-dipping free-kick in the 72nd minute, with the Los Blancos faithful joining together in a round of applause.
Madrid - who were presented with the La Liga trophy before tonight's clash, then fell behind as Kondogbia fired his new club into the lead in the 77th minute.
The French midfielder dispatched his first-time finish low into the bottom left corner past the helpless Navas in the 83rd minute.
But just as they often did last season, Real fought back late on as once again Asensio found the back of the net with a glorious free-kick low into the corner, with Neto once again rooted to the spot.
The ex-Espanyol ace then surged down the left channel before finding Benzema in the box, but he couldn't divert his his effort as it blazed over the bar.
Benzema then somehow yet again missed in the 88th minute as he was quickest to a rebound inside the penalty area, but lashed his effort agonisingly wide.
The former Lyon striker then had his header sensationally clawed away by Neto in injury time to earn his side a dramatic point.