Real: Spotlight on Güler

Two perfectly executed moves by Arda Güler left the Champions League quarter-final second leg between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid (4-3, 2-1 in the first leg) in the balance on Wednesday. But the Merengue attacking midfielder, who came close to being the hero of the night, was sent off after the match.

Now that he knows he can score from 70 metres, nothing fazes Arda Güler. Against Bayern Munich (3-4, 1-2 in the first leg) on Wednesday, in the Champions League quarter-final second leg, the playmaker showed his nerve.

The Real Madrid attacking midfielder long embodied the Merengue’s hopes in this second leg, surprising Manuel Neuer with two difficult yet perfectly executed moves from outside the penalty area.

A magical left foot

Struggling in the first leg in Madrid, Real took just 35 seconds to get back on track in Munich. Responsible for a “simply catastrophic pass”, as he himself admitted after the match, Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer sent the ball straight to Güler who, from 30 metres out, anticipated the blunder to follow up with a first-time volley, perfectly placed, under the crossbar of the empty net.

“He controlled the ball perfectly with his magnificent left foot. We saw it with the free-kick; he put all his power into it. That’s what he does best, and that’s what makes him so special,” the Munich captain told DAZN. Because the Turkish player’s goal-scoring prowess didn’t stop there: after Aleksandar Pavlovic’s quick equaliser, Güler reignited Madrid’s hopes by firing the ball into the top corner of Neuer’s goal from a free-kick, once again with that delicate left foot.

Sent off at the end of the match

After a subdued performance in the remainder of the game, Güler ultimately failed to become the hero he had come so close to being. Substituted in the 90th minute, just after Luis Diaz’s goal which dashed Real’s hopes of reaching extra time, the former Fenerbahçe player lost his cool at the end of the match. The 21-year-old playmaker, frustrated by Eduardo Camavinga’s sending-off which hastened the Whites’ downfall, vented his anger far too vehemently at Slavko Vincic.

The Slovenian referee sent him off after the final whistle, symbolising a dream night that turned into frustration. Güler, finally recognised as a key player for Real this season (he has the sixth-highest minutes played in the Madrid squad) after long being considered a luxury substitute, will therefore miss the first Champions League match of next season.