Did Jude Bellingham steal Arda Guler's playing time?
The Spanish media has reopened the debate about Arda Güler's performance and included Jude Bellingham in it.
Real Madrid lost 1-0 away to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League during the week. Arda Güler, who started the match in the first 11, was replaced by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 81st minute. Xabi Alonso played the national footballer in defensive midfield in the Liverpool match. Real Madrid fans reacted to Arda playing as a defensive midfielder, as he had been playing further forward in recent weeks and providing many assists to Kylian Mbappe.
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The Arda Güler debate in the Spanish media
Meanwhile, discussions about Arda Güler are also taking place in the Spanish media following the Liverpool match. Most recently, Sport published an article titled 'Güler, Xabi Alonso's weak link', which included the following statements: "Arda Güler is only 20 years old and has a lot to improve, especially in terms of the stamina and physicality required to compete for 90 minutes.
The Turkish player has only completed one of the 13 matches he started in the first 11 and leads the list of players with the most substitutions, with 12 changes. His closest rivals are Kylian Mbappe, who was substituted 8 times in 14 matches, and Vinicius, who also had 8 substitutions in 13 matches. This makes him the weak link in the team; he is the first to tire, his performance drops in such a demanding position, and he makes mistakes that harm the team. Bellingham's return to his best form reduces Arda's role, as he shares the responsibility of building the attacking play.
