Arda Guler gives Jose Mourinho selection headache after Mbappe, Vinicius struggle in first Real Madrid defeat

Jose Mourinho suffered his first defeat since returning to Real Madrid as Real Betis punished his side's wastefulness, but Arda Guler's display may have given the Portuguese coach an unexpected selection issue.

Real had won their opening three La Liga matches under Mourinho before Friday's 1-0 defeat at La Cartuja.

The visitors controlled much of the first half and created enough opportunities to take the lead, but Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior both failed to convert promising chances.

Troy Parrott eventually punished Madrid after the interval, while Mbappe later missed a stoppage-time penalty that could have rescued a point.

The defeat ended Mourinho's perfect start, but one individual performance still offered encouragement.

Guler outshines Real Madrid's superstar forwards

Guler returned to the starting XI and emerged as Madrid's most productive attacking player.

Operating from the left but frequently drifting inside, the Turkey international created three big chances and registered seven key passes during the match.

Ni la repetición del penalti, ni el gol anulado a Espí, a Mourinho le gustó el árbitro porque “ha dejado jugar” pero no entendió la amarilla a Arda Güler. Eludió la polémica #RealMadrid #RealBetis #LaLiga pic.twitter.com/n4lVjU3uMS
— MARCA (@marca) September 4, 2026

His movement allowed him to influence the game from different areas, often dropping towards midfield before advancing again into dangerous positions.

One of Madrid's clearest first-half opportunities came through Guler.

He created the opening for Vinicius to shoot with the goalkeeper out of position, but the Brazilian struck the woodwork.

Guler was also dangerous from set pieces, finding Jude Bellingham and Dean Huijsen from corners, only for Alvaro Valles and the crossbar to deny Madrid.

His influence contrasted with the finishing problems experienced by Vinicius and Mbappe.

Mbappe saw one effort cleared off the line following a Vinicius pass before being denied by Valles from the penalty spot in added time.

Vinicius also had opportunities but was unable to make the pressure count.

Mourinho handed fresh Real Madrid selection dilemma

Guler's form is becoming increasingly difficult for Mourinho to ignore.

The 21-year-old had already scored in the 4-0 win over Malaga, the only previous La Liga match in which he had not started this season.

Against Betis, he showed that his value is not limited to goals.

His ability to move between midfield and the left side gives Mourinho another creative option in an attack already packed with high-profile names.

Rodrygo remains unavailable, while Yan Diomande has yet to establish himself strongly enough to demand an automatic starting place.

That leaves Guler with an opportunity to make himself increasingly important.

The question is not necessarily whether he should immediately replace Mbappe or Vinicius, but whether Mourinho can continue leaving him out when he offers a different level of creativity between the lines.

Madrid's failure to score against Betis also strengthens that argument.

Mourinho introduced Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bernardo Silva and Diomande in search of a response, but the visitors increasingly relied on aerial deliveries rather than finding combinations through the middle.

Guler had already demonstrated that he could offer exactly that link.

Carlos Espi thought he had equalised with an acrobatic finish late on, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside, before Mbappe's penalty miss ended Madrid's final opportunity to avoid defeat.

Mourinho therefore leaves Seville with his first setback of the season and an attacking problem to solve.

Mbappe and Vinicius remain central to Real Madrid's plans, but Guler's performance has made the competition around them more interesting.

If the Turkish playmaker continues to create chances at this rate, Mourinho may soon have to decide not whether Guler deserves more minutes, but how to fit him into the starting XI without reducing the influence of his two biggest attacking stars.