Arda Güler Masterclass Guides Mourinho’s Madrid Past Ferencváros
For 45 minutes in Budapest it felt like nothing would break, and then Arda Güler decided the night belonged to him. The Turkish playmaker was the one constant in a cagey, uneven contest, orchestrating everything of note as Real Madrid edged Ferencváros 2-1 at the Groupama Aréna on Friday to give José Mourinho another polished night of pre-season.
It was Los Blancos’ second friendly of the summer, and the shape of Mourinho’s early Madrid is slowly coming into focus. Another step forward for the Portuguese since his return to the club, it was built on the twin foundations of Güler’s craft and La Fábrica’s cutting edge.
Arda Güler runs the show
From the first whistle Güler was the only player fully switched on, drifting into pockets and dictating the tempo while team-mates found their rhythm around him. He controlled the centre of the pitch at will, and Bernabéu Digital’s player ratings scored him a near-perfect 9.75 — comfortably the best on the field. The only thing missing from his evening was a goal or an assist to put on the highlight reel, though he had a hand in almost everything Madrid created.
Behind him, the tactical curiosity was Trent Alexander-Arnold operating in a holding midfield role — a nod, perhaps, to the Rodri-shaped hole Madrid have chosen not to fill, and a position the England international occupied under Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool. Fede Valverde partnered him in the double pivot and grew into the game after the break.
La Fábrica lights up Budapest
The breakthrough was pure academy. Castilla defender Mario Rivas rose to head home Alexis Ciria’s inviting cross, opening the scoring and rewarding the youngsters who once again started the match. Early in the second half Madrid doubled the lead through a slick team move, Valverde slipping in Carlos Espí to finish for his first goal as a Madridista. Kenan Kodro pulled one back for a sharper, more match-fit Ferencváros, but the hosts could not find a leveller.
Mourinho rotated heavily, changing five of his six defenders at the interval and handing summer signing Bernardo Silva his first minutes in white. The playmaker showed flashes of his class in a central role, but his new manager was measured about the Portuguese’s sharpness, describing his condition as “way below” where it should be. Endrick, meanwhile, again took on the role of chief presser, harrying from the front before being shifted to the right flank.
There is polishing to do — the defending was loose at times and the first half lacked spark — but the platform is encouraging. With Vinícius Júnior back on the pitch and the pre-season building towards the LaLiga opener, Mourinho will take the win, the clean tactical ideas and, above all, the reminder that in Güler he has a genuine conductor. As Bernabéu Digital noted, this was a serious night’s work from a team still finding its feet.
