According to reports, Arda Guler has recently become the talk of Madrid. After elimination from the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti decided to give the Turkish player a chance, and Guler immediately forced his way into the starting lineup. Now, with El Clasico approaching, no one can deny that he deserves a starting spot at the Montjuïc Stadium.

Guler’s first serious opportunity came against Getafe, where he scored the only goal of the match and was named Man of the Match for his brilliant performance. In the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, he came on in the second half and immediately made an impact. Guler provided an assist to Jude Bellingham, giving Real a temporary 2-1 lead, and they nearly won the title with that goal.

In the match against Celta Vigo, Guler was again in the starting lineup due to numerous injuries and did not waste his chance. A goal and an assist from him heated up the La Liga title race in the final four weeks. Ancelotti said in the post-match press conference about his progress: “We talk about Guler, Endrick, and other young players. But Real Madrid’s history shows that to become a regular starter, you must spend time on the bench. Arda is doing well and will improve next year. He has the qualities to be a starter for Real and has learned to be patient.”

The truth is that Guler has added two things to Real Madrid that were missing before: first, high-quality midfield creativity, and second, the ability to dribble past defenders, which Rodrygo had lost on the right wing. The Brazilian’s noticeable decline opened the door for Guler—a player who starts on the right but has freedom to move between the lines. In a team whose play had become monotonous, Guler is a blessing for injecting pace into the game.

Real Madrid’s next big challenge will be El Clasico—a match marked in red in the Madrid dressing room to perhaps save the season. Guler could be Real Madrid’s unexpected star in El Clasico. In a season where hopes were initially pinned on Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, this Turkish star might be Real’s trump card against Hansi Flick’s team. Ancelotti left the door open regarding whether Guler will start at Montjuïc. However, we must wait until Sunday to see if the Italian coach rewards his efforts.