Mourinho explains why he substituted Arda Güler

Real Madrid manager José Mourinho spoke about the substitution of Arda Güler following the 1-0 defeat against Real Betis. The Portuguese manager stated that he was pleased with the national footballer's performance but felt compelled to make the change due to the risk of a second yellow card.

Arda Güler, who started the match in the first eleven, received a yellow card in the 45+3rd minute. The young footballer, who was effective in Real Madrid's attacking organizations during the first half, particularly created scoring opportunities for his team with his passes to Vinicius Junior. Arda was replaced by Yan Diomande in the 64th minute.

In his post-match assessment, Mourinho remarked, “It was difficult to take Arda off because he was playing very well.” The experienced manager noted that Betis players were applying pressure in a way that increased the likelihood of a second yellow card, stating that Arda was “at risk.”

Mourinho also expressed confusion over Arda finishing the first half with a yellow card, arguing that the atmosphere created by the Betis fans put pressure on the referee and the tempo of the match. Early in the second half, after Arda stopped a counter-attack, Betis players appealed for a second yellow card, but the referee did not reach for his card.

Real Madrid failed to score after Arda Güler was substituted. While Real Betis left the pitch with a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal by Troy Parrott, Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty in stoppage time. This result marked the first defeat of the season for Real Madrid under Mourinho's management.