4 Minutes Were Enough for Arda Güler: 'He Woke Real Madrid Up' — Pay Attention to Mourinho's Expression After Arda's Goal
Real Madrid secured a dominant victory against Málaga at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Arda Güler having the final say of the night. Subbing in for Jude Bellingham in the 87th minute, the national star found the back of the net shortly after to make it 4-0, becoming the night's highlight. While José Mourinho's facial expression following Güler's goal sparked widespread discussion, the Spanish press showered the young talent with praise.
In Week 3 of LaLiga, Real Madrid hosted Málaga at home. Real Madrid won the match 4-0, reaching 9 points in the league. The goals securing the victory came from Bellingham, Herrero (OG), Mbappé, and Arda Güler.
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National player Arda Güler entered the match in the 87th minute and scored the final goal four minutes later. Following Arda Güler's strike to seal the team's fourth goal, cameras turned to Real Madrid Head Coach José Mourinho.
Mourinho was seen sitting on the bench with a serious facial expression. The cameras also captured that he showed no visible celebration after the goal. Meanwhile, Arda Güler scoring just 4 minutes after coming on reignited debates over why the national footballer is not getting more playing time.
Spanish journalist Josep Pedrerol drew special attention to Mbappé and Arda Güler after the match. He stated that Mourinho is in no rush regarding Arda Güler and places immense trust in him. Suggesting that Mourinho might eventually yield to Güler's talent and make him a definitive starter in key matches, Pedrerol noted that the Portuguese manager aims to build the new era's Ronaldo-Mesut Özil duo by combining Mbappé's clinical goal-scoring with Arda Güler's talent, final passes, and growing attacking contributions.
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Meanwhile, the Spanish outlet Marca praised the young star's performance under the headline "Arda Güler Woke Madrid from an Uncalled-for Slumber." The article featured the following statements:
"Real Madrid could have achieved an overwhelming victory against Málaga, but they didn't. And why didn't they? Because after finishing the first half 3-0 up, they fell asleep in the second half, almost as if expecting Wednesday's Champions League visit from Inter. Considering their second-half performance—to elaborate a bit further—it didn't make sense to bring on Diomande, whose appearance at the Bernabéu was eagerly anticipated. He touched the ball three times, and that was it. It would have made more sense for him to start instead of Brahim, which was right when Madrid stepped on the gas. However, the difference was made by individual quality, particularly from Jude Bellingham. He scored two goals—even if the second wasn’t credited to him by high officials—and could have scored a few more. The other goal came from Mbappé following a brilliant pass from Trent, which is exactly why Trent is there. This match was an opportunity for him; the more important matches will belong to Dumfries."
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"Finally, with five minutes left in the game, Arda Güler came on and woke up a Madrid that had fallen into a deep sleep. He scored a magnificent goal and finally brought Vinícius—who is still awaited—into the game as well. Ultimately, even a tiny bit of Arda Güler means a great deal."
Meanwhile, SI noted the following for Güler, who came on as a substitute: "Came on for Jude Bellingham. 7 touches, 1 goal. Turkey's star displayed his striker instincts on Madrid's final goal."
