Dean Huijsen: Real Madrid's Rising Centre-Back Star
On a night when Real Madrid finally tripped, Dean Huijsen walked off La Cartuja looking like he belonged to a different story.
The champions were flat, short of ideas and repeatedly repelled by goalkeeper Vieites. Their first defeat of the season felt heavy. Yet in the middle of it, the 19-year-old centre-back from Málaga played as if this was his stage all along, turning a complicated evening into a personal statement.
Number 4 with a point to prove
Huijsen didn’t just wear the number 4. He carried it.
That shirt, passed on from David Alaba and weighed down by the shadows of Sergio Ramos and Fernando Hierro, can crush a young defender. Huijsen has chosen the opposite route. As reported by Marca, his mentality has hardened since the start of the season: more edge, more bite, more competitive steel.
He had promised himself and the club: “What I know for certain is that I will give everything I have every day, whether that is in training or in matches.” At La Cartuja, with Madrid misfiring in front of him, he lived that sentence. Every duel, every sprint, every recovery carried the conviction of someone determined to prove he belongs in that lineage of Madrid centre-backs.
Locking down Cucho, staring down Antony
His primary assignment was clear: neutralise Juan “Cucho” Hernández. He did it with a maturity that belied his age.
The Colombian tried to find pockets in and around the box. Huijsen shut them down. He tracked tightly, read the runs early and refused to let Cucho receive cleanly in dangerous areas. Whenever Betis searched for their striker between the lines, the young defender stepped in, cutting off passes with sharp, well-timed interventions and winning the races into space.
The game had its flashpoints too. Antony tried to drag him into a personal battle, testing his nerve and temperament. Huijsen didn’t blink. He matched the Brazilian’s aggression, stood his ground and refused to be drawn into reckless challenges. For a defence that has often looked fragile in recent seasons, that defiance mattered.
More than a stopper
What truly separated Huijsen from the rest of his teammates was not only what he destroyed, but what he created.
Alongside Arda Güler, he was Madrid’s standout performer because he played like a modern centre-back should: brave with the ball, calm under pressure, quick to choose the right option. He received possession as if he had all the time in the world, then accelerated the play with crisp passes and intelligent carries.
He even threatened to become the unlikely hero at the other end.
In the 11th minute, he surged into the box for a corner, forcing Vieites into a sharp save from close range. Moments later, he rose highest and crashed a header against the crossbar. Different bounce, different story. After the break, he stepped up again, winning the ball high and sparking a move that almost turned into a decisive pass for Kylian Mbappé. Those are the thin margins that tilt big nights.
A partnership still under construction
Next to him, Ibrahima Konaté delivered a steadier but less convincing display.
The Frenchman completed his defensive work but never quite looked fully at ease, either in his positioning or on the ball. The contrast was striking: Huijsen appeared settled, sharp and growing in stature; Konaté still felt like a defender searching for rhythm in a new environment.
The pairing is a work in progress. The gap in readiness is visible, yet the potential is obvious. With minutes and continuity, the understanding should grow. For now, Huijsen is the one setting the standard.
From weak point to anchor
Real Madrid’s back line has been their recurring flaw in recent campaigns, the soft spot opponents targeted. On nights like this one, Huijsen looks like the answer to that problem.
He has turned himself into the club’s biggest defensive gain: a centre-back who defends with conviction, plays with personality and embraces the responsibility of leading from the back. Performances like this keep nudging him closer to the status of reference point, not just promising youngster.
There is a personal mission driving him too. Left out of the Spain squad that lifted the World Cup under Luis de la Fuente, Huijsen is playing every match as a message. Every tackle, every interception, every surge forward is his way of asking a simple question:
How much longer can club and country ignore a defender performing like one of his idols?
