Güler’s midfield role reshapes Mourinho’s plans before the Clásico

With the Clásico approaching, Arda Güler is at the heart of José Mourinho’s thinking. Moving the Turkish player into the base of the build-up changed the team’s shape against Sevilla and could create more opportunities for him in midfield. For Mourinho, the challenge is to find a set-up that gives his team greater control over the pace of matches.

Kooora reports that Güler’s performance against Sevilla convinced the coach of the value of this option, after he had hesitated to use him in that role during the first half of the season. The outlet also describes the Sevilla match as the team’s best performance of the season, with records for possession and passing. Those assessments are attributed to Kooora.

The proposed role would involve more than simply positioning Güler deeper. The technical staff point to his ability to link the lines through short passing and his understanding with teammates. He can also play through balls for Diomande and Kylian Mbappé to take advantage of their speed, according to the analysis. Having Güler in midfield would give Mourinho more scope to manage the tempo, an area in which the team had so far struggled.

Against Sevilla, Güler and Jude Bellingham also exchanged positions at points during the match. Mourinho liked the movement because it made the opposition’s defensive organisation more difficult. Before that game, the coach praised Güler’s versatility without revealing that he intended to use him in midfield. “Arda is a player with great talent and, fortunately, he has not yet reached the stage of being a finished player. But he has the qualities to play in different positions. I am very happy,” Mourinho said.

Mourinho also defended coaches’ authority to make decisions, even as artificial intelligence advances: “To this day, it is still the coaches who make the decisions.”

After the break, Mourinho’s analysis of the matches against Villarreal and Elche led him to try a different formula with Güler, seeking more control and balance. The Turkish player still has aspects of the role to refine, but the account says he has earned the chance to feature there more regularly. He could nevertheless return to the right wing or the playmaker position at certain times. Ahead of the Clásico, his place in midfield and his position-swapping with Bellingham are therefore central to the adjustments being considered.