Another challenge for Güler at Real Madrid

It was the 57th minute of Real Madrid’s game against Elche when Álvaro Arbeloa opted for a triple substitution. Most of those in the stadium interpreted the changes as a way to rest and protect key pieces of the Madrid machine ahead of the Champions League round-of-16 second leg against Manchester City. The players withdrawn were Valverde, Tchouaméni and Brahim. Coming on were Arda Güler, Gonzalo and Daniel Yáñez. Two first-team players and one academy product. Later, three more academy players followed: Manuel Ángel, Palacios and Diego Aguado. In total, five players with youth-team backgrounds… and one marquee signing. A signing Madrid once fought hard to secure ahead of rivals such as Barcelona and Sevilla.

Stunning strike from Güler

With just a couple of minutes remaining before the 90, the young Turkish midfielder took control of the ball and unleashed a shot from 74 yards that caught a forward-positioned Dituro by surprise.

It was Madrid’s fourth and final goal, and the stadium erupted at the brilliance of the strike. For Güler, it also lifted a burden. No one expected the attempt, which left his coach clutching his head while those inside the stadium—and millions watching on television—reacted in disbelief.

After the goal, his teammates rushed over to celebrate, the coach among them. Arbeloa is enjoying a surge of approval after three straight wins, not just for the results but for how they came: a last-gasp victory, a commanding display against Manchester City at the Bernabéu, and a rout capped by the introduction of five academy graduates.

But the run has also produced difficult decisions. Güler began the Elche game on the bench and, as in Vigo and against Manchester City, was frustrated, something he has not hidden in recent weeks.

Güler has appeared in every LaLiga game this season but has completed the full 90 minutes only three times, just once at the Bernabéu (against Real Sociedad on February 14). The other two were against Levante in Valencia and Rayo in Vallecas. In the Champions League he has also played in every match though he came on as a substitute in the league-phase meeting with Manchester City, and started in the 3-0 win in the Round of 16. All this in a season in which he has already surpassed the total minutes he logged in the previous campaign.

The first warning sign came in Vigo. Despite setting up Tchouaméni for the opening goal, he was the first player substituted. Arbeloa explained the decision clearly: “If I brought on Palacios, it’s because I believe he’s more used to performing the role Arda was doing.”

With stretches where he drifted in and out of the game, the coach chose to replace him. He had just 51 touches and completed 32 of 38 passes—an 84.2 percent success rate, the lowest among Madrid’s starters in Vigo and one of his ten worst figures this season, in which he averages 90.3 percent passing accuracy. He was visibly annoyed when he was taken off. “Me?!” he muttered before grumbling under his breath. Something similar happened against Manchester City: he faded in parts of the game, although he still showed work rate, commitment and tactical discipline, finishing with a team-high seven recoveries. Then, against Elche, he produced one of the goals of the season.

For the clash with City, three players are competing for a place in midfield: Pitarch, who has already shown a good understanding with Tchouaméni at the heart of the defense; Güler himself; and a subdued Camavinga, who remains an alternative to the other two. Arbeloa will decide.

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