Real Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Guler arrives at the party a little too late for Turkiye

Real Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Guler arrives at the party a little too late for Turkiye It has been quite the FIFA World Cup for Real Madrid stars so far, with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. especially catching the eye. The group stage is nearing its conclusion, and teams are finding out who they will face in the round of 32. Vinicius inspired Brazil to a 3-0 victory over Scotland the previous day, helping Selecao secure first spot in the group and set up a date with Japan in the round of 32. Mbappe is set to face Norway and Erling Haaland tonight in a game France would want to win, as finishing second in the group could send them into a very difficult run of fixtures. Last night, Ecuador had to secure a win against Germany, and they did just that, coming up with a slender 2-1 win over the 2014 champions. The Netherlands got the job done against Tunisia to nail down their berth as the top team in the group, although it has given them a clash with Morocco in the round of 32. Turkiye had nothing to play for but pride against the USA, and they managed to secure a 3-2 win, finally joining the party at this World Cup. From a Madrid perspective, Guler, Antonio Rudiger and Denzel Dumfries played for their respective nations, and let us see how they fared. Arda Guler vs USA Guler was on the scoresheet against the USA. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) Guler started and played the full match as Turkiye beat the USA 3-2. He produced the standout individual performance. The Madrid midfielder scored Turkiye’s equaliser in the 10th minute. His performance was sharp: one shot, one goal, 67 touches, 40 completed passes from 52, 10 duels won and four recoveries. For Madrid fans, this was exactly the kind of display that builds belief around Guler. He was not just decorative. He shaped attacks, competed physically and gave Turkiye control in moments when the game could have become chaotic. After a couple of games in which Los Blancos’ wonderkid did not have a good showing, this was much more like the Guler everyone knows and loves against the USA. Denzel Dumfries vs Tunisia The new Real Madrid signing was quite impressive against Tunisia. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images) Dumfries also had a positive outing as the Netherlands moved through with confidence. His early cross forced Ellyes Skhiri’s own goal, setting the tone for a 3-1 win over Tunisia. The right-back was a constant outlet, finishing with eight touches in the opposition box, four shots, 0.75 combined xG and xA, 91 percent passing accuracy and four defensive recoveries. The crossing could have been cleaner, but the influence was obvious. Dumfries brings vertical power, box presence and physical aggression. He can make a flank feel uncomfortable for opponents even when every decision he makes is not perfect. He is still not officially a Madrid player, due to his own request , but there is no doubt that he is putting on a show for the fans with the Netherlands at this tournament. Antonio Rudiger vs Ecuador Rudiger’s Germany suffered a defeat against Ecuador. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) Rudiger had the toughest day. He came into Germany’s XI for the injured Nico Schlotterbeck, but Germany lost 2-1 to Ecuador despite scoring early through Leroy Sane. Although he did not make any glaring mistakes, it does feel like the German defender is slightly past his prime and no longer the imposing physical presence that he once was. With Real Madrid signing a host of defenders and also having the likes of Dean Huijsen and Eder Militao in the squad, it does look like Rudiger’s days as a starting defender for Los Blancos are numbered. Overall, it was a mixed Madrid day with one clear headline: Guler delivered. Dumfries added another strong tournament performance, while Rudiger will want Germany’s knockout stage to go better than last night.