Güler throws Mourinho's plans into disarray: a talent with different skills seeking a place at Real Madrid

Mourinho said of Guler before his side's 3-2 win over Elche last Tuesday: "The quality of his play is amazing. His vision, his decision-making, his creativity, and the stability he gives the team."

He added: "Maybe I don't want to go as far as saying he's of the very top category, but I can certainly say he's of the top category."

Guler is still hunting for his best position. He has featured in a deeper midfield role, out on the right wing, and finally as a playmaker against Elche. In previous seasons Real Madrid's midfielders had to cover vast areas inside a flat 4-4-2. Now there's a more natural home in the starting eleven for a player with his technical gifts.

Under Mourinho, Real Madrid have defended from higher up and in a more compact shape, squeezing the spaces between the lines and shortening the distances between players in the defensive phase.

They've grown more comfortable without the ball, averaging just 54.5% possession across their six La Liga matches. No longer do they lean solely on the considerable physical power of Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde to shield the side when they lose it.

All of which leaves Guler far less exposed when the opponent has the ball. The moment his team wins possession back, his knack for threading decisive forward passes comes to the fore.

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No team in La Liga has taken more shots following fast counter-attacks than Real Madrid under Mourinho this season, and Güler is often the player most capable of getting past the opponent's first line of pressure and launching the swift attack.

Take the Real Betis game. After intercepting an opposition cross, Real Madrid quickly moved the ball to Güler, who played a clever backheeled pass to Bellingham, taking three midfielders out of the play with one precise touch.

The 21-year-old's ability to retain possession and to spot passes that split the opponent's defence makes him an important option in deep positions, especially when spaces open up to run into.

His contribution is not limited to defensive transitions. He can also accelerate Real Madrid's attacks through moments of quality that help the team beat the opponent's pressure.

Early in that Betis game, which Real Madrid lost 1-0, Güler moved inside to make himself available for a pass while his team tried to build up under high pressure.

Antonio Rüdiger sent a bounced pass to Güler, but the Turkish midfielder quickly controlled the ball in a pocket of space, then played it out to the wing to open the way for Denzel Dumfries to burst forward.

Elche also defended relatively proactively through a mid-block. Güler initially dropped back to help build the attack, before spotting the chance to move between the lines and receive a forward pass.

He took a moment after receiving the ball, choosing not to risk the more difficult pass to Vinícius Júnior, before sending it out to the wing to pave the way for Marc Cucurella to deliver a first-time cross. With the freedom to roam from the playmaker's position, Güler could control the tempo of play and attack dangerous spaces in more advanced areas of the pitch.

Real Madrid have become more organised under Mourinho when working the ball through the final two thirds. In the past, particularly under Ancelotti, the players would often congregate on the left flank to link up with short passes. This season they play far wider, opening up space for Guler to thread those incisive passes.

Movement around Guler matters just as much in stretching the opponent's defence. When Vinicius Junior drops to receive the ball, Bellingham quickly moves to occupy the space on the left. Over on the right, Dumfries pushes up to pin the full-back in place while Mbappe races to attack the space behind the defensive line.

Those coordinated runs, spread across the full width of the pitch, hand Guler a wealth of options when Real Madrid break forward quickly.

His passing accuracy lets him carve out chances whenever the game opens up. That goes a long way to explaining his impressive start to the season.

He has started just four of Real Madrid's first six league matches, yet no player in La Liga has created more than his 27 chances. Only three players better him for completed through balls.

The graphic below maps all of Guler's passes to Mbappe and Vinicius Junior this season. Many are positive forward balls, and they have already put both players inside the penalty area on five occasions each.

Guler doesn't just hurt teams in transition. His patience on the ball and his crossing from the flanks let Real Madrid pick their way through deep defensive blocks too.

What impresses is his hunger to get on the ball in every phase of play. Take another moment against Elche, who sat deep after a long spell of possession.

He drifted into an empty pocket and raised his hand for the pass. Comfortable in deep areas, Guler never rushes. He swapped passes with Mbappe, put his foot on the ball and weighed up his options.

Elche had dropped off, but Real Madrid stretched the width of the pitch and pulled the defence apart. That gap was all Guler needed. He threaded a ball into Cucurella's path at the perfect angle and with just the right weight.

No player across Europe's five major leagues has sent in more than his 14 crosses, and he has already created six chances from corners, three of them curling to the outside to find Dean Huijsen.

That versatility in creating chances makes Guler an indispensable part of Real Madrid, capable of unlocking any attacking scenario. One question still faces Mourinho: where does the player best fit in the side?

Against Rayo, Guler created five chances in just 18 minutes after replacing Yann Diomande on the right flank. He was devastating out wide. His ability to dictate the tempo from a free playmaker role against Elche helped Real Madrid take control of the match, though it meant leaving out Bellingham.

Real Madrid needed the quality of a Toni Kroos or a Luka Modric to organise the attacking play, distributing with composure and dictating possession.

Guler remains very young. But the early signs this season point to a player ready to make big strides during the current campaign, paving the way to eventually fill that void.