In the 22nd minute, Guler received a pass from Dean Huijsen deep inside Madrid’s half. Instead of releasing the ball quickly, he kept it in possession, allowing Mason Greenwood to close him down and steal it. Marseille broke forward, and Tim Weah slotted home to put the French side ahead. It was a tough lesson for the 20-year-old, who has been getting more minutes this season in the absence of injured Jude Bellingham.
Speaking after the hard-fought win, Alonso admitted Guler made the wrong choice but urged patience with the youngster.
“What I said at the Club World Cup about investing in Arda makes even more sense now,” he said. “Arda had more touches on the ball than he should have, and that’s why the mistake happened. It’s not a problem. He’s worth it and on the right path. I’ll say the same about [Franco] Mastantuono. I think he will do well; he had his chances.”
Despite the early setback, Madrid responded quickly. Kylian Mbappe equalised from the penalty spot in the 29th minute, before scoring again from 12 yards in the 81st minute to complete the comeback. Dani Carvajal’s red card left Los Blancos playing the final 18 minutes with 10 men, but they held firm to take all three points. Alonso praised his side’s ‘Champions League spirit’ and called it a ‘big win’ for their group stage campaign.
“A lot happened in the game. The first half-hour was very good, fantastic, with tempo, pressing, and many chances,” he added. “We could have gone ahead but conceded instead. After that, the game became more balanced. In the second half, we pushed, maybe without too many chances, but I felt we controlled it until Carva complicated things. We showed the Champions League spirit at the Bernabeu, and the 2-1 goal allowed us to defend with ten men and take three very important points. It’s a big win.”
Guler has made five appearances so far this season and scored his second goal of the season in Madrid’s 2-1 win over Real Sociedad last week. While his mistake against Marseille didn’t cost the team three points, the youngster will know he has to learn quickly, with Bellingham set to return and Mastantuono also making an impact. Los Blancos will now turn their attention back to La Liga, where they face unbeaten Espanyol on Saturday.
