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.
Published: March 15, 2026 3:00 pm
Source: Sports Illustrated — Read original