MU Shorts
Real Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Guler arrives at the party a little too late for Turkiye
It has been quite the FIFA World Cup for Real Madrid stars so far, with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. especially catching the eye.
The group stage is nearing its conclusion, and teams are finding out who they will face in the round of 32.
Vinicius inspired Brazil to a 3-0 victory over Scotland the previous day, helping Selecao secure first spot in the group and set up a date with Japan in the round of 32.
Mbappe is set to face Norway and Erling Haaland tonight in a game France would want to win, as finishing second in the group could send them into a very difficult run of fixtures.
Last night, Ecuador had to secure a win against Germany, and they did just that, coming up with a slender 2-1 win over the 2014 champions.
The Netherlands got the job done against Tunisia to nail down their berth as the top team in the group, although it has given them a clash with Morocco in the round of 32.
Turkiye had nothing to play for but pride against the USA, and they managed to secure a 3-2 win, finally joining the party at this World Cup.
From a Madrid perspective, Guler, Antonio Rudiger and Denzel Dumfries played for their respective nations, and let us see how they fared.
Arda Guler vs USA
Guler started and played the full match as Turkiye beat the USA 3-2. He produced the standout individual performance.
The Madrid midfielder scored Turkiye’s equaliser in the 10th minute. His performance was sharp: one shot, one goal, 67 touches, 40 completed passes from 52, 10 duels won and four recoveries.
For Madrid fans, this was exactly the kind of display that builds belief around Guler. He was not just decorative.
He shaped attacks, competed physically and gave Turkiye control in moments when the game could have become chaotic.
After a couple of games in which Los Blancos’ wonderkid did not have a good showing, this was much more like the Guler everyone knows and loves against the USA.
Denzel Dumfries vs Tunisia
Dumfries also had a positive outing as the Netherlands moved through with confidence. His early cross forced Ellyes Skhiri’s own goal, setting the tone for a 3-1 win over Tunisia.
The right-back was a constant outlet, finishing with eight touches in the opposition box, four shots, 0.75 combined xG and xA, 91 percent passing accuracy and four defensive recoveries. The crossing could have been cleaner, but the influence was obvious.
Dumfries brings vertical power, box presence and physical aggression. He can make a flank feel uncomfortable for opponents even when every decision he makes is not perfect.
He is still not officially a Madrid player, due to his own request, but there is no doubt that he is putting on a show for the fans with the Netherlands at this tournament.
Antonio Rudiger vs Ecuador
Rudiger had the toughest day. He came into Germany’s XI for the injured Nico Schlotterbeck, but Germany lost 2-1 to Ecuador despite scoring early through Leroy Sane.
Although he did not make any glaring mistakes, it does feel like the German defender is slightly past his prime and no longer the imposing physical presence that he once was.
With Real Madrid signing a host of defenders and also having the likes of Dean Huijsen and Eder Militao in the squad, it does look like Rudiger’s days as a starting defender for Los Blancos are numbered.
Overall, it was a mixed Madrid day with one clear headline: Guler delivered. Dumfries added another strong tournament performance, while Rudiger will want Germany’s knockout stage to go better than last night.
Real Madrid and Inter Milan are two clubs where history carries an unusual amount of weight.
The white shirt of Real Madrid and the famous black-and-blue stripes of Inter have been worn by some of football’s greatest players, with both clubs demanding not only talent but the ability to handle enormous expectations.
Moving between the two is therefore no ordinary career decision.
The clubs operate in different football cultures, compete in different domestic environments and have their own tactical traditions, but the pressure attached to representing either institution is remarkably similar.
Despite that, a select group of players have experienced both worlds.
Some arrived at Real Madrid after making their name in Italy, while another made his reputation in Madrid before becoming a key figure in one of Inter’s greatest teams.
On that note, here are three footballers you might have forgotten who represented both Real Madrid and Inter Milan during their careers.
Roberto Carlos: From Inter disappointment to Real Madrid legend
Few players are as synonymous with Real Madrid as Roberto Carlos.
The Brazilian left-back became a cult hero at the Santiago Bernabeu, but his European journey took him to Italy before Madrid. In 1995, he joined Inter Milan and spent one season with the Nerazzurri.
It was a productive campaign on an individual level. Roberto Carlos made 34 appearances and scored seven goals, which is an extraordinary return for a defender and an early indication of the attacking qualities that would eventually make him one of the most recognisable full-backs in football.
His time in Milan, though, lasted only a season.
Real Madrid moved to sign him, and the transfer proved to be one of the most important pieces of business in the club’s modern history.
Roberto Carlos would spend 11 seasons in the Spanish capital and establish himself as one of the defining players of his generation.
Across his Madrid career, he made 584 appearances in all competitions and scored 71 goals.
During his time, the Brazilian won four La Liga titles and was part of the team that reached three Champions League finals in 1998, 2000 and 2002. Madrid won all three.
The 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen produced one of the defining moments of that era.
Roberto Carlos delivered the cross that Zinedine Zidane spectacularly converted for the winning goal, securing another European crown for Madrid.
Fabio Cannavaro: A Ballon d’Or winner in Madrid
Fabio Cannavaro’s connection with both clubs is perhaps less widely remembered, particularly because the Italian defender’s reputation is strongly associated with his homeland and Real Madrid.
Cannavaro developed through Napoli and Parma before earning a move to Inter Milan in 2002.
The Nerazzurri reportedly paid around €23 million for the centre-back, handing him a four-year contract.
His start at Inter was encouraging, but the relationship eventually became complicated.
Cannavaro left the club in 2004 and joined Juventus, where he spent two seasons before another major move changed the course of his career.
In 2006, Real Madrid signed him from Juventus for a reported €7 million.
That same year, he captained Italy to World Cup glory and produced a series of outstanding performances during the tournament.
His achievements were recognised on an individual level too, as he won the 2006 Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Cannavaro spent three seasons at Real Madrid and added domestic success to his already extraordinary year.
He won La Liga in both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, becoming an important defensive figure during Madrid’s successful campaigns.
His Inter career never reached the same heights, and Cannavaro himself has spoken critically about aspects of his experience there.
But his journey from Inter to Juventus and eventually Real Madrid produced one of the most decorated defensive careers of his generation.
Esteban Cambiasso: Madrid academy product turned Inter great
Esteban Cambiasso’s story is arguably the most interesting of the three because, unlike Roberto Carlos and Cannavaro, he began his connection with Real Madrid at youth level.
The Argentine midfielder joined Madrid’s academy at a young age alongside his brother Nicolas.
After returning to Argentina to gain regular first-team football with Independiente and River Plate, Cambiasso eventually returned to Madrid.
He became part of the first-team setup in 2002 and enjoyed a trophy-winning spell with the club.
Cambiasso won La Liga, the Intercontinental Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup during his time in Madrid.
Yet his stay in the Spanish capital ultimately came to an end when his contract expired in 2004 and the club decided against renewing it.
That decision opened the door to Inter, where he truly established himself as one of the finest midfielders of his generation.
He spent a decade with the Nerazzurri, becoming an important figure in one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.
Cambiasso won five league titles during his time at Inter and became particularly important in Jose Mourinho’s side.
In the 2009-10 season, Cambiaso’s Inter won the Champions League by defeating Bayern Munich in the final, completing a historic treble.
