Xabi Alonso's starting lineup for Real Madrid's Supercopa de Espana final against Barcelona has caused a stir. The Spaniard can win his first trophy since replacing Carlo Ancelotti in the summer if he oversees a win in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Los Blanco beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the semi-finals courtesy of goals from Federico Valverde and Rodrygo. Alonso has Kylian Mbappe available for the final after he flew over to the Middle East on Friday but he won't be risked from the start.
Mbappe not starting isn't that much of a surprise nor is it decision that warrants questioning. But the manager has made a bold call regarding his attack.
Late u-turn over Gonzalo
Gonzalo Garcia
Gonzalo bagged a hat-trick against Real Betis earlier this month | Mateo Villalba/GettyImages
Alonso initially appeared to have named Gonzalo Garcia on the bench, but instead started Arda Guler. It meant a change of system, with Madrid lining up with Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior up top and Jude Bellingham behind them.
Guler was set to slot into midfield, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga continuing in the middle of the park. It would have been a brave decision because the Turk has endured a frustrating season and many have speculated that he could be sold in the summer.
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Alonso will want to prevent Pedri and Frenkie de Jong from dictating the play and seemed to turn to Guler in midfield. But a lack of a target man was an obvious issue, especially on the counter, unless Bellingham could replicate one of his 2023-24 displays.
That's why Gonzalo returned to the starting XI just minutes before the final much to the delight of Madridistas. This means he will be leading the line against Barca.
Alonso compared Guler to Guti
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Guti became a Madrid hero | JOHN MACDOUGALL/GettyImages
Guler is still only 20 and has room to grow but his start at Madrid hasn't reached expectations. The Turkish midfielder was dubbed the next Mesut Ozil during his time at Fenerbahce but we've yet to see such exploits as those enjoyed by Ozil at the Estadio Bernabeu.
Alonso was one of those who compared Guler to Ozil while also explaining his similarities to Guti. He said (via Real Madrid's website):
"Not only because of his origins and where he comes from, but also because of his quality, he's a mixture of Ozil and Guti. Guti also had that quality to play close to the build-up and the striker. Seeing the pass that is not so easy to find. I also enjoyed playing with Mesut a lot. The more we find Arda, the sooner the game tends to improve. We have to keep pushing him and supporting him, but we're very happy with his performance, maturity and the impact he's having in the games. What surrounds him is also very important."
Guler has appeared 88 times for Madrid, scoring 15 goals and providing 19 assists. If he wants to make an impression tonight he'll have to do so off the bench.