Real Madrid closing the gap to Barcelona at the top of La Liga would ordinarily have been the main talking point from their win over Elche.
The 4–1 scoreline would have attracted attention too, given their recent slip-up against Getafe and generally underwhelming domestic performances, but this particular win turned into a conversation solely about Arda Güler. And for good reason.
The game was already over as a contest when Güler picked up the ball with just over a minute of normal time remaining. Real Madrid were winning 3–1, courtesy of goals from center back duo Antonio Rüdiger and Dean Huijsen and resurgent midfielder Federico Valverde, and were poised to spring forward on the counterattack. Güler had other, spectacular ideas.
With a quick glance up, he noticed veteran goalkeeper Matías Dituro was lurking outside of his penalty area. Not far outside of it but outside nonetheless. It’s not normally a problem when a player—like Güler was in this instance—is 75 yards away from goal. Except this time it was a major problem.
Güler’s Unfurling of the Spectacular Hits Notable Mark
One wand of his left boot later and Güler had scored the longest goal in the past 15 La Liga seasons—one that sent everybody in the Bernabéu into a frenzy, social media clip crazy and Álvaro Arbeloa into some kind of museum-inspired hypnosis.
“We should frame it and hang it on a wall,” Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV. “It’s amazing. Wonderful. I saw everyone throw their hands up in amazement, and I did too. It was worth having paid for a ticket, or two or three, to see what he did.”
Elche coach Eder Sarabia was equally as exuberant in his praise. “He is a colossal player. We lost the ball unnecessarily, and then one of the best players in the world appears. We’ve been conceding a lot of great goals.
“Those details that went our way in the first half of the season are now going against us. But alongside that anger and sadness, as a football fan, it’s an incredible goal. You need the ability to see it, and then to execute it.”
Overcoming Adversity at the Bernabéu
Güler, 21, hasn’t had things all his own way at Real Madrid. A prodigious talent quickly likened to Lionel Messi after breaking through at Turkish giants Fenerbahçe, he struggled to live up to the hype after arriving in 2023. Then-manager Carlo Ancelotti often looked elsewhere for inspiration, suggesting he didn’t think Güler had the quality to star for Real Madrid.
His successor Xabi Alonso saw things differently, ending speculation that Güler could be moved out of the club either on loan or on a permanent basis. Arbeloa has continued to show that same faith, while also blooding a number of other young talents from Real Madrid’s academy—individuals he knows well from his time managing the 15-time Champions League winners’ B-team, Castilla.
“For someone who came up through the youth ranks myself and made it to the first team, this is a day of immense happiness and pride,” Arbeloa said, having blooded five substitutes aged 21 or younger. “It reminded me of the Real Madrid of the [legendary 1980s side] Quinta del Buitre era. I’m so happy to see them play and show the talent they possess ... It’s a day to remember for Madrid fans.”
Arbeloa added he could “die happy after a night like this,”—something Güler may be able to understand after scoring one of the great Bernabéu goals.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arda Guler’s Real Madrid Wonder Goal Did Something Not Seen for 15 Years.
