“Masterclass incoming”, “He will own Barcelona” – Fans react as Real Madrid star included in XI to face Catalan side in LaLiga clash

Real Madrid fans online are pleased to see Arda Guler start in their LaLiga clash against arch-rivals Barcelona. The final El Clasico of the season will take place at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday.

Guler has played just 1,471 minutes in 38 appearances across competitions this season. He has started just 14 games, registering five goals and nine assists, and only 10 in LaLiga. With Los Blancos having an underwhelming season, there have been calls for the Turkiye international to get more minutes.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti has now decided to start Guler in midfield against the Blaugrana on Sunday. Real Madrid fans online are happy to see the 20-year-old and reacted on X (formerly Twitter). One fan wrote:

Another wrote:

Guler starts alongside Dani Ceballos, Federico Valverde, and Jude Bellingham in a midfield four for Real Madrid in the El Clasico. Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe make the front two. Lucas Vazquez, Aurelien Tchouameni, Raul Asencio, and Fran Garcia form the defense in front of Thibaut Courtois.

The El Clasico on Sunday could turn out to be a title-decider. Barca sit atop the LaLiga standings, four points above Real Madrid with four games remaining. If they lose, the gap will be reduced to just one point.

In his pre-match press conference, Carlo Ancelotti was asked about the upcoming match, saying (via Managing Madrid):

He added:

Real Madrid have lost all three previous El Clasicos this season. They lost 4-0 at home in LaLiga in October before losing 5-2 in the Supercopa de Espana final in January. They then lost 3-2, after extra time, in the Copa del Rey final in April.

Aditya Singh

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 3 years. He boasts a total experience of over 6 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya’s journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur’s front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect’s with the club’s underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda ‘Long-form Editor of the Month’ award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric’s elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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