According to reports, he played as a central midfielder in the first half, providing precise passes that added speed, rhythm, and depth to the game.

Güler has not had many opportunities to shine so far, and even in those few chances, he had not been outstanding. However, this changed at the Coliseum Stadium. Against Getafe, the best version of Arda Güler was seen—a confident, creative, and effective player who was also accurate near the opponent’s goal. His spectacular right-footed shot secured three points for Real Madrid.

After the match, he told the club’s TV channel: “I scored a good goal, and I’m very happy we got the three points.”

Real Madrid has long been searching for a successor to Toni Kroos, who retired at the end of last season. While it’s still too early to compare Arda to Kroos, the 20-year-old Turkish star’s performance against Getafe showed glimpses of the German midfielder’s brilliance.

According to Opta data, Güler’s pass accuracy in this match reached 87%, while Kroos’s average pass accuracy was 92% or higher. In 78 minutes, Güler made 77 passes, 67 of which were successful. The most impressive part of his performance came in the first half, where he completed 56 out of 63 passes.

For comparison, Kroos averaged 97.9 passes per 90 minutes last season, with 94.8% accuracy. On the other hand, Güler had only averaged 52.9 passes per 90 minutes in his previous 48 appearances for Real Madrid.

Additionally, in the match against Getafe, 29 of his successful passes were in the opponent’s half, with 17 in the final third—the area where the most danger is created for the opponent’s goal.

Returning to His Specialized Position

Carlo Ancelotti praised his Turkish star after the match: “He played as a central midfielder and performed very well. He was composed, creative, and showed exceptional quality.”

However, the question arose as to why he had rarely played in this position before. Ancelotti responded: “Because of our system. When we play with a 4-4-2 formation, he can’t play as one of the two central midfielders, and his only option is the right wing. But with a 3-3-4 system like today, he can excel as a central midfielder.”

Güler also confirmed this: “I played in a position where I feel comfortable.” Ancelotti added: “He still has some physical weaknesses, but his quality is high—not just because of the goal he scored, but also because of his ability to control the game. I think his future lies in midfield, not attack. Maybe it’s unrealistic to use him as a defensive midfielder now, but in the future, in a 3-3-4 system, it could be possible.”

For one night, Arda Güler filled Toni Kroos’s shoes at Getafe, playing a role similar to the great German star. Ancelotti concluded: “His quality in building the game is extraordinary.”