Arda Guler produced a moment of pure theater as Real Madrid cruised to a 4-1 win over Elche in LaLiga on Saturday. The Turkish playmaker stole the show with a strike from nearly 68 meters (74 yards) that equaled the league’s all-time record.
The goal came in the 89th minute of the match but quickly became the talk of the night at the Santiago Bernabeu. Spotting Elche keeper Matias Ditur way off his line, Guler unleashed an audacious effort from inside Real Madrid’s own half that slotted perfectly into the net.
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The spectacular strike came in the 89th minute to seal a comfortable victory for Madrid, who climbed to 66 points in the table, just one behind leaders Barcelona.
HOW DID ARDA GULER SCORE AN AMAZING GOAL?
The moment began with Guler realizing from midfield. The youngster cleverly caught the ball and calmed down with a few quick touches.
Then came the magic.
Spotting Elche’s Dituro drifting away from his goal, Guler wasted no time launching an audacious strike from deep in Madrid’s half. The ball soared high in the air as the Elche keeper desperately sprinted back to his line.
Dituro tried to recover and jump for the ball, but it was too late. A perfectly judged effort went under the crossbar and into the net, sending the Bernabeu crowd into celebration.
The strike equaled the longest goal ever recorded in LaLiga and equaled Antonio Jose’s famous effort for Numancia against Sevilla in 2004 from a similar distance.
Interestingly, this was not the first time Guler had tried something like this. Earlier in the season he hit the crossbar with a long-range effort against Osasuna, but this time the effort found its target.
With plenty of football still to come this season, the stunning strike already looks like a strong contender for the next FIFA Puskas award.
REAL MADRID WILL RULE ELCHE
While Guler’s wonder goal grabbed the headlines, Real Madrid had already firmly taken control of the match.
Antonio Rudiger opened the scoring in the 39th minute after Elche failed to clear the rebound from Federico Valverde’s free-kick. The German defender reacted the fastest and drove the ball into the net.
Valverde then added a second just before half-time with a moment of brilliance, curling a pinpoint shot into the top corner from the edge of the area.
Madrid continued their dominance after the break as Dean Huijsen made it 3-0 when he headed home Daniel Yanez’s cross as coach Alvaro Arbeloa rotated his squad and handed minutes to several youngsters.
Elche pulled one back late in the game when Madrid substitute Manuel Angel accidentally deflected the ball into his own net while attempting a clearance.
But Guler’s spectacular long-range effort later restored Madrid’s three-goal cushion and ensured the night ended in a moment the fans at the Bernabeu will not soon forget.
The win keeps Real Madrid firmly in the title race, sitting just one point behind Barcelona, who face Sevilla on Sunday. A win for the Catalan side would extend their lead at the top to four points.
Madrid will now focus on Tuesday’s huge UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against Manchester City before returning to LaLiga action against Atletico Madrid next weekend.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
15 March 2026 09:25 IST
