Tag: Arda Guler

Five Real Madrid players who must step up the most in order to beat Sevilla
Features, LaLiga

Five Real Madrid players who must step up the most in order to beat Sevilla

After dominating Pachuca 3-0 in Qatar to capture the Intercontinental Cup, Real Madrid are back in the Spanish capital to take on Sevilla in LaLiga this weekend after dropping more points in the league last Saturday to Rayo Vallecano. Real Madrid are the clear favorites on Matchday 18, and nothing less than a win will suffice against a Sevilla side that continues to linger in the bottom half of the table, though they are improving during the course of the current campaign. In order for the Merengues to avoid yet another disappointing result in the league, here are five players on the team who must step up the most this weekend. LW Kylian Mbappe Left winger Kylian Mbappe has usually been utilized as a center forward since Real Madrid have quite literally the best pure, out-and-out w...
3 burning questions for Real Madrid after a 3-3 draw with Rayo Vallecano
Features, LaLiga

3 burning questions for Real Madrid after a 3-3 draw with Rayo Vallecano

Real Madrid were unable to get the full three points on the road on Saturday at the Vallecas, suffering yet another defensive collapse in a 3-3 draw with Rayo Vallecano that could have easily been a loss if it weren't for some opportunistic moments from their star players. Going forward, serious questions need to be asked of Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid, because even though they are actually closer in the title race after Barcelona's own bleeding continued with a ghastly 1-0 loss to Leganes, Real, in comparison to the main Champions League title contenders, still look a step below their usual standard. Here are three burning questions for Real Madrid following a subpar showing against one of their local rivals. Why isn't Raul Asencio playing? For the life of my, I cannot compreh...
How Real Madrid could soften the blow of losing Arda Guler
Features, LaLiga

How Real Madrid could soften the blow of losing Arda Guler

Real Madrid have one of the most talented prospects in world football in Arda Guler, who burst onto the scene in his first season as a Madridista with 6 goals in just 373 LaLiga minutes for the Merengues. Guler then made an even bigger name for himself with a stellar performance at Euro 2024 for Turkey, scoring a goal and two assists in the tournament with 1.6 key passes and 1.4 dribbles completed per game. Because of his excellent goal-scoring record in his first season with Real Madrid and his strong all-around playmaking performance at a major international tournament, Guler was supposed to take on an even bigger role in his second season in the Spanish capital. Instead, the teenage sensation has been given fewer opportunities than expected to the frustration of Guler himself, ...
3 biggest takeaways after Real Madrid shred Girona 3-0
Features, LaLiga

3 biggest takeaways after Real Madrid shred Girona 3-0

Real Madrid have been in a difficult period to start the 2024/25 season with a myriad of serious injuries, disappointing losses, and poor form from marquee signing Kylian Mbappe. But after falling 2-1 to Athletic Club at mid-week, Real Madrid made an important statement on the road against one of their 2023/24 title rivals, Girona, blowing out the Catalan side again by a scoreline of 3-0...without Vinicius Junior. In light of Barcelona dropping points to Real Betis, Real Madrid are now just two points behind the Blaugrana with a game in hand. Here are three key takeaways for the Merengues after their massive victory. Arda Guler needs to be a regular Carlo Ancelotti has been under pressure to give Turkish phenom Arda Guler more minutes this season, and the 19-year-old had a brillian...
The star Real Madrid have to worry most about losing in 2025
LaLiga

The star Real Madrid have to worry most about losing in 2025

Real Madrid are in a difficult period, because even though they got back to winning ways with a Vinicius Junior hat trick- fueled 4-0 demolition of solid La Liga side Osasuna, they also lost superstar center back Eder Militao for the rest of the 2024/25 season. Already, Real Madrid are falling behind Barcelona in the title race after a 4-0 drubbing in El Clasico, and they didn't exactly instill confidence against top competition by getting dismantled by a thoroughly mediocre AC Milan side 3-1 in the Champions League. Nobody is facing more pressure at the Santiago Bernabeu than manager Carlo Ancelotti, who, for the first time in his second stint at the club, is playing for his job. Real Madrid don't want to fire Ancelotti - certainly not before they can secure Xabi Alonso as his re...
Even Real Madrid players aren’t happy with Carlo Ancelotti snubbing two teammates
LaLiga

Even Real Madrid players aren’t happy with Carlo Ancelotti snubbing two teammates

Real Madrid are in their most painful period in a few years, as their combined 7-1 defeats to Barcelona and AC Milan back-to-back have let a sobering reality sink in: the club is worse after signing Kylian Mbappe. The defending champions of Spain and Europe as a whole, Real Madrid have looked anything but invincible, even as there was optimism among fans that they would be untouchable in 2024/25 after signing the most talented footballer in the world. But Mbappe has struggled to deliver on his quality, while the Real Madrid structure has been in shambles, left chasing the dirt kicked up by opposition attackers. And there is a worry that Carlo Ancelotti's facade has come crumbling down after the departure of his coach on the field, Toni Kroos. Real Madrid have to get serious about ...
Carlo Ancelotti has no choice but to use Arda Guler more
Features, LaLiga

Carlo Ancelotti has no choice but to use Arda Guler more

There will be an innumerable amount of rumors and reports circulating in the media following Real Madrid's abhorrent 4-0 loss to Barcelona in El Clasico, an unacceptable result at the Valdebebas and one that should have consequences for how the Merengues approach the remainder of the season. Already, the tide was seemingly turning as far as Real's pursuit of center backs, which had been non-existent prior to this point despite a multitude of injuries, and, now, it is abundantly obvious that defensive help is needed across the back line to keep up with Hansi Flick's emerging attacking juggernaut in Barcelona. In the more immediate term, questions will be asked about Carlo Ancelotti. And these will be serious ones, perhaps even graver than the ones he so deftly answered in March 2022 w...
Now we see why Real Madrid want Florian Wirtz despite already having Arda Guler
LaLiga

Now we see why Real Madrid want Florian Wirtz despite already having Arda Guler

Real Madrid have been one of the handful of elite clubs most frequently linked to Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz, and since former Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso is his coach and has his eyes on the Madrid managerial job after Carlo Ancelotti, there's a school of thought that says the Merengues are the favorites to sign the German international. However, there is another school of thought within the Spanish capital that says Real Madrid should not spend 100-150 million euros on a No. 10 when they already brought in the very talented and successful trio of Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, and Brahim Diaz in summer 2023. All three men played key roles in Real Madrid hoisting the La Liga and Champions League trophies last season. Although Bellingham has moved back to a No. 8 role i...
Real Madrid predicted XI vs. Espanyol: Arda Guler and Luka Modric run the show again
Features, LaLiga

Real Madrid predicted XI vs. Espanyol: Arda Guler and Luka Modric run the show again

After defeating Stuttgart 3-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, Real Madrid will head back to LaLiga this weekend for a battle against Espanyol on Saturday night at the Santiago Bernabeu. Nothing less than the full points will be expected for Real Madrid, and although they will be riding high after back-to-back wins over quality Spanish sides in Real Sociedad and Real Betis, Espanyol are stingy against the elite teams and shouldn't be slept on. Here is a look at the possible Real Madrid starting XI against Espanyol this weekend. Defense: Thibaut Courtois, Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal The best back four remains the same. None of these four Real Madrid starters is going to be displaced any time soon, and the only real weak link is Ferland Mendy wh...
Real Madrid have one doubt for their starting lineup against Stuttgart
Champions League, Features, LaLiga

Real Madrid have one doubt for their starting lineup against Stuttgart

Real Madrid will face Stuttgart in their first match of the 2024/25 Champions League campaign as the defending champions, having beaten another historic Bundesliga side in Dortmund in the Final. Stuttgart are underdogs through and through and don't have superstar striker Serhou Guirassy, who joined Dortmund this sumner, but as their 3-1 win over Gladbach shows, they still have the firepower to threaten anyone. After all, they finished higher than Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last season. Real Madrid are coming off another big 2-0 win in LaLiga, this one over Real Sociedad, with Luka Modric putting in a vintage display and Arda Guler shining in his debut as a regular center midfielder. According to a report from COPE, with Aurelien Tchouameni set to move from midfield to center ...