A surprising image quickly went viral during Real Madrid’s clash with Manchester City: Arda Güler marking Erling Haaland on corner kicks.

The unusual pairing caught the attention of fans because of the obvious height difference. Güler stands at around 1.75 meters, while Haaland is close to 1.95 meters. At first glance, many supporters feared it was a defensive mistake or a mismatch in the team’s organization.

However, the situation was far from accidental. It was actually part of a carefully studied tactical plan designed by the coaching staff of Real Madrid.

After analyzing Manchester City’s set pieces in detail, the staff concluded that Haaland is not the primary aerial finisher during corners or free kicks. Instead, his role is often more strategic: using his physical strength to block defenders, disrupt the goalkeeper, and create space for teammates to attack the ball.

Because of this, Real Madrid chose not to assign one of their tallest defenders directly to the Norwegian striker. Players such as Dean Huijsen, Antonio Rüdiger, Federico Valverde, and Aurélien Tchouaméni were instead positioned to defend the most dangerous aerial threats inside the box.

Those threats included players like Rodri, Rúben Dias, Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guéhi, Josh O'Reilly, and Jérémy Doku, who were considered more likely to attack crosses and score from set pieces.

Meanwhile, Güler, and later Fran García or Eduardo Camavinga, were tasked with staying close to Haaland mainly to prevent him from freely disrupting the defense or creating space.

The strategy worked exactly as planned. Real Madrid handled all of City’s set pieces without conceding, proving that what initially looked like a risky mismatch was actually a calculated tactical decision.

********************************************************

You can now download the Madridista News App for free on the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can follow us on Facebook here.

You can follow us on X (Twitter) here.                                                                    

You can follow us on Instagram here.

You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

You can follow us on Telegram here.

You can follow us on TikTok here.

You can join our WhatsApp channel here.