Arda Güler needed only an hour. Seven chances created and an assist against Espanyol

Carlos Espí scored the winner and Jude Bellingham opened the scoring, but most of Real Madrid’s best attacking moves during the first hour against Espanyol went through Arda Güler. The Turkish midfielder finished the match with an assist and seven chances created. Mourinho substituted him in the 64th minute. By then, Güler had already done enough to leave behind the game’s most obvious question: why so early?

Güler started as part of the attacking line behind Kylian Mbappé. He regularly moved inside from the right, looked for space between Espanyol’s lines and assumed responsibility for several set pieces. Real Madrid did not have to wait long for the first reward.

Vinícius won a free kick in the ninth minute and Güler delivered the ball directly onto Bellingham’s head. The Englishman converted the cross to score Real Madrid’s first LaLiga goal of the season. It was not a hopeful ball thrown into the penalty area. Güler picked out his teammate’s run and the rehearsed routine gave Mourinho an early lead in his first official match since returning to Madrid.

The pair almost repeated the move after halftime. Güler found Bellingham again in the 53rd minute, but Dmitrović and the crossbar prevented the midfielder from scoring his second header of the evening. A few minutes later, another set piece delivered by Güler led to attempts from Dean Huijsen and Ibrahima Konaté.

The numbers reflect his influence. Güler created seven chances and recorded one assist during his 63 minutes on the pitch. He completed 38 of his 41 passes, giving him an accuracy rate of 93 per cent, while all four of his attempted long passes found a teammate. He did not take a shot and touched the ball inside Espanyol’s penalty area only once, but his role was to build opportunities rather than finish them.

StatMuse gave Güler a rating of 9.04, the same score as Bellingham. That does not represent an official match MVP award, but it provides a fair indication of his performance. Güler did not require a goal or a collection of decorative dribbles to control Madrid’s attacking play. He moved the ball quickly and rarely selected a more difficult option than the situation required.

That is why Mourinho’s decision in the 64th minute attracted attention. With the score at 1–1, Yan Diomandé replaced Güler. Real became more direct, but lost the player who had been finding gaps most consistently and delivering the ball into dangerous areas.

The substitution eventually worked, although Madrid had to wait. Diomandé was involved in the move preceding the winning goal and Carlos Espí settled the match in the 90th minute. Mourinho’s substitutes ultimately delivered the three points. It is still reasonable to wonder how many more opportunities Güler might have created had he remained on the pitch.

The Turkish international appeared to be one of the main beneficiaries of Mourinho’s return during preseason. The opening league match did nothing to weaken that impression. One assist is a good return. Seven chances created in just over an hour tells a much fuller story.

Real Madrid won through Espí’s instinct. Before that, they played largely through Güler’s left foot.

Sources: Real Madrid’s official match report | StatMuse | Managing Madrid