The El Clásico match took place at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís (Barcelona’s temporary home stadium) on May 11, 2025, and ended with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Real Madrid. Real Madrid’s young talent, Arda Güler, was featured in the starting lineup but failed to show much and was replaced after the first half, disappointing fans.
In the first half, Güler played in the right wing position, but his performance was considered weak. According to the publication’s statistics on X, Güler has 14/18 accurate passes, but no scoring, no assists, no lob (0/1), and no accurate long passes (0/2). A notable moment is the situation in the 45th minute, when Güler passed to Lucas Patchicz, but Patchicz’s handling of the miss led to Raphinha stealing the ball, coordinating with Ferran Torres and scoring the score to 4-2 for Barcelona. This error is not entirely Güler’s fault, but it contributes to him being criticized.
After the first half, manager Carlo Ancelotti decided to withdraw Güler and replace him with Luka Modric and Brahim Diaz to improve his ball-controlling and attacking skills. The post about X reflects the frustration of some fans, with comments such as “Güler completely invisible” or “Ancelotti made a mistake by letting Güler kick the wings.” Some other opinions suggest that Ancelotti deliberately let Güler play in an inappropriate position to “test the fire,” but this put pressure on the young players.
The reason Güler didn’t perform well could stem from the fact that he wasn’t fully adapted to the pressure of a big match like El Clásico, especially given the fact that Real Madrid was swept away early by Kylian Mbappé’s two goals. Furthermore, having to face Barcelona’s midfield and attack, with names like Pedri, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal, also made it difficult for Güler to make a mark. Some Turkish fans have expressed concern that Güler should be used in central midfield, where he can better foster his ability to create and control the pace of the match.
Despite being replaced early, Güler remains young and has great potential. Battles like El Clasico are an opportunity for him to gain experience, even if the results aren’t as expected. Real Madrid and Turkish fans hope Ancelotti finds a way to use Güler more effectively in the future, especially given that he has shown flashes of brilliance in less pressure-packed matches.
