Six months after officially signing with Real Madrid from Fenerbahce and overcoming his injury problems, Turkish player Arda Güler finally made his debut in a Copa del Rey match. In the 59 minutes he played, he was active, lively, and came close to scoring with a free-kick that hit the post.

This debut had been eagerly anticipated by Madrid fans since he arrived in the summer as one of Europe's biggest talents at just 18 years old, but it took longer than expected to happen.

In fact, Güler hadn't played an official match for six months and 16 days, since June 19, 2023, when he played 31 minutes, scoring a goal, for his national team against Wales.

He had a rough time, undergoing knee meniscus arthroscopy and sustaining two muscle injuries, one per leg, which he had just recovered from before the match against Arandina. Despite that, he was one of Real Madrid's standout players during his time on the field.

Carlo Ancelotti handed him a starting spot. Wearing the number '24', he showcased glimpses of his quality as a Real Madrid player right from the start.

Within seven minutes of the game starting, he attempted a shot from outside the box, but it was blocked, marking the first of three dangerous attempts he made.

By the 14th minute, Arda Güler demonstrated that despite favoring his left foot, he's adept with his right too. A powerful shot towards the near post, following a good run inside the box, was saved by the local goalkeeper for a corner.

Five minutes later, he displayed his authority by taking a free-kick from a position usually favored by right-footed players, hitting the post himself.

Aside from his near misses on goal, Arda Güler actively sought the ball, injected pace into the game, and threaded passes to his teammates.

Overall, Arda Güler had a commendable debut for Real Madrid, becoming the third Turkish player to officially wear the white jersey after Hamit Altintop (12 matches) and Nuri Sahin (10).