Dean Huijsen is emerging as one of the most thrilling talents globally – transitioning from Juventus to Bournemouth and now to Real Madrid is an impressive journey, and the 20-year-old’s display against Pachuca has captured the attention of a) supporters and b) the Spanish press.
Xabi Alonso’s Los Blancos invested a staggering £50 million, activating his appealing release clause, to acquire the Amsterdam-born prodigy as they aim to reconstruct following a season without trophies under the astute Carlo Ancelotti.
Alonso, recognized as one of the premier young managers in global football, and his team secured their inaugural victory in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with a score of 3-1 against Pachuca.
However, how did Huijsen perform, and what is the general opinion regarding the young player’s performance? Huijsen, a three-time capped international for Spain, was positioned alongside Raul Asencio (who was sent off just seven minutes into the match) and played the full 95 minutes in their second game against the Liga MX team, which has suffered defeats in both of their initial matches in the United States.
Expectations were high, especially after a sluggish start on the southern coast of England, as he became essential to manager Andoni Iraola and his staff.
But what do the statistics from Sofascore reveal about his latest performance? As previously noted, he participated in the entire 95 minutes of the match, during which he recorded 97 touches of the ball.
Out of these, he successfully completed 75 out of 81 passes (93%), with three of his seven long ball attempts being executed successfully, all with relative ease.
This is what distinguishes Huijsen – although his calm and composed demeanor may occasionally lead to moments of losing possession.
As demonstrated in his highlights reel below, the defender is particularly adept at breaking lines through his passing.