Why Madrid finally looked whole again – and what Arda Güler has to do with it

Driven by Arda Güler, Madrid are back on the road, eager to forget the long stretch spent on the shoulder – a period that includes last season, which was disappointing both in silverware and in play. 

They beat Villarreal in a pivotal game in the campaign. Marcelino’s excellent side are just one rung short of shaking off the negative record they carry against Barcelona and Real Madrid. This season alone they have dropped nine points across three games against the two perennial favorites in Spanish football.

Real Madrid’s performance was reflected in Thibaut Courtois’ scant involvement. His miracles were never required. He was shielded by the most robust defense the team have fielded in some time, this time led by Asencio. The match also rehabilitated Huijsen, who avoided lapses and did not lose his duels. He now has to repeat that showing game after game until doubts about his inconsistency are finally dispelled.

The defensive response went beyond the back line. The whole team moved in harmony, with energy and diligence, and every player did his part. Mbappé scored the goals, while Vinícius engaged in a thrilling duel with the young Pau Navarro, a full-back who looks here to stay. He may yet earn a national team call-up in the medium term.

Jude Bellingham roamed the field with intelligence and authority, free of petulant gestures or complaints. Against Villarreal he played with the joy of a footballer at ease with himself. The same could be said of Valverde, whose contribution from right-back in the last two games has been immense. Against Monaco and Villarreal alike, his influence was unmistakable.

The story of the match, though, was Arda Güler, outstanding in every department. He ran relentlessly and conducted Madrid’s play with intelligence and incisive passing. At just 21, he has evolved from a player of flashes into the team’s conductor in midfield, by Xabi Alonso’s unwavering design. The coach has been tenacious in his commitment to the young Turk.

When Madrid fans speak of Modrić or Toni Kroos, they do so with reverence and nostalgia for two players who arrived fully formed, at their physical peak – one from Bayern, the Croatian from Tottenham. Güler’s case is different: he still has to construct himself as a player, perhaps even as a great one at Real Madrid. His quality has never been in doubt, but his defensive work, stamina and ideal position have long been debated.

Madrid’s turbulent season added another prejudice to the mix: the idea that Güler was Alonso’s pet project. That perception may even have existed within the squad. In Vila-real he delivered a performance that should mark a definitive turning point in that view. To begin with, he showed he has an engine, running tirelessly and intelligently throughout.

He always seemed to receive the ball without a marker nearby – a trait long associated with Modrić and with genuinely elite players. That ability to find space under pressure defined his performance as much as his passing. It was a display of awareness and authority.

Güler, who was important early in the season thanks to his effective link-up with Mbappé, left this game as everyone’s partner. Madrid desperately need that kind of midfielder, one who connects the entire team. If Vila-real was any indication, it will be very hard to drop the Turkish international from the starting lineup.

His growth is visible by the week. In the last two league games – coming on in the second half against Levante and starting on Saturday against Villarreal – Güler has been at the wheel, steering Madrid from the shoulder back onto the road.