Real Madrid's Arda Guler Returns to Training Ahead of Valencia Clash

After an intense matchday for Real Madrid, in which it visited Greece to face AEK in a hostile environment and with the absences of two important players for the club, such as Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni, since Jose Mourinho had given them rest, the merengues have returned to Madrid and have trained this Thursday again ahead of next Saturday's match against Valencia.

The starting eleven from Wednesday's match could be seen at Valdebebas doing recovery work, while the rest of the squad did activation exercises on the grass. Later, the group worked on ball circulation and possession with shots on goal. They finished with matches on a reduced-size field and with shooting exercises.

The novelty was that Guler returned to training normally after not traveling to Athens for the Champions League match. Tchouameni, who was also absent midweek, was doing exercises on his own just two days before the match at Mestalla. Raul Asencio and Rodrygo remain in their respective recovery processes.

As we already mentioned, neither the Turk nor the Frenchman traveled with the team to Athens to face AEK, a match corresponding to matchday 4 of the Champions League. A match that became quite complicated for the Chamartin side, since, barely in the 12th minute, the locals went ahead on the scoreboard, and that made them adopt a more defensive style of play, looking for the counterattack.

Many Merengue fans missed what Guler had been offering matchday after matchday on the right flank, the same one where Yan Diomande was, because Vinicius Jr. occupied the left sector. The Brazilian was seen as creative at times, with those flashes of quality he has resorted to this season due to his drop in performance, but unfortunately, once again he could not find the net.

However, thanks to Jude Bellingham, who was impeccable, he scored the equalizing goal (1-1) with a backheel. Kylian Mbappe had several dangerous attempts and also scored his goal, the one that meant the tie again (2-2). Finally, captain Federico Valverde had to arrive and, very true to his style, he made it 2-3 definitive with a rocket from outside the area that kept opening toward the corner. A really great goal that gave the team three valuable points.

Now, they are in second place in the competition, only behind Paris Saint-Germain on goal difference. Therefore, unless something catastrophic happens, the team has one foot in the top eight, something it has not been able to achieve in the two years this league format has been in place.