Vinicius loses standing at Real Madrid as Güler rises and Diomande waits

Real Madrid's defeat at La Cartuja against Betis (1-0) laid bare a reality that seemed unthinkable only weeks ago: Vinicius Junior's standing is no longer sustained by reputation alone. The Brazilian still has José Mourinho's full trust and played the entire match, but his football no longer generates the sense of permanent threat that made him an undisputed attacking reference for several seasons. Meanwhile, Arda Güler grows with increasingly influential performances and Yan Diomande, signed to raise the level of competition, waits for an opening on a flank that is starting to change hands.

• Vinicius finished the match against Betis, but produced flashes without continuity and was contained by Bellerín for long stretches.
• Arda Güler was once again among Real Madrid's most inspired players and was only substituted due to the risk of a second yellow card.
• Mourinho admitted after the match that it was very difficult to take Güler off because he was playing so well.
• Diomande came on for the Turk, not because he had won the spot, and his path to the starting eleven is starting to point toward the left flank.
• Mbappé and Bellingham retain unquestioned standing, while Vinicius sees his margin for error shrink.

Güler wins the right flank with performances

The debate surrounding Real Madrid's right wing seemed to have a clear destination: Diomande had arrived in the summer to compete with Güler for the spot. Four matchdays later, that discussion has become outdated. The Turk has found on the pitch the decisive argument to settle it, and against Betis he delivered another of his most complete performances in a white shirt.

Mourinho only took him off in the 64th minute, already booked and after an action that threatened to leave the team with ten men. The first yellow card was harsh and the second, very clear, was forgiven by the referee. The substitution responded to that risk, not to a drop in performance. The coach explained it naturally after the match: Güler was playing so well that it was hard to pull him from the field.

Diomande waits and his opportunity no longer runs through Güler

Diomande joined Real Madrid as one of the standout signings of the summer and a serious contender for a starting role. His initial problem seemed to be Güler, but the Turk's growth has shifted the pressure. Every strong performance from Arda reduces the space available to the Ivorian on the right and, at the same time, inevitably turns attention toward the other flank.

The former Sporting Lisbon player did not enter at La Cartuja because he had won the spot from Güler, but because circumstances forced the Turk off the pitch. That nuance matters: the path to the starting eleven no longer leads inevitably toward the right wing. The possibility is emerging that Diomande seeks minutes on the left, precisely where Vinicius holds enormous credit but increasingly needs new arguments.

From undisputed to watched: Vinicius' fading influence

Vinicius' untouchable status was not born with Mourinho. The Brazilian earned it over years, reaching a dimension that led him to contest the Ballon d'Or and become one of Real Madrid's great symbols. The 2023/24 season, crowned with a goal in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, placed him among the players around whom a team is built. Back then there was no debate because there was no reason to have one.

Since that peak, however, his influence has gradually declined. Mbappé's arrival inevitably shifted part of the attacking weight toward the Frenchman and Vinicius stopped governing the attack as he once did. He remains capable of breaking a match open with a burst of speed, but his decisive contributions have become more sporadic, as has that feeling of constant danger that forced opponents to plan much of the game around stopping him.

What Vinicius did against Betis: flashes without continuity

Vinicius' display at La Cartuja was not empty. He hit the post, set up Mbappé for a very clear chance, delivered the cross that ended in Carlos Espí's spectacular disallowed bicycle kick and won the penalty in stoppage time. There were moments, but no continuity; glimpses, but little dominance.

Bellerín managed to contain him for long stretches and the Brazilian once again looked far from the player who needed only a few meters and a ball to turn a match on its head. Mourinho kept him on the pitch until the end, even when he used all his substitutions in search of an equalizer that never came, but the feeling left by his current football is that of a player alternating flashes with phases of disappearance.

Mourinho's bet makes sense, but it is starting to cost

The Portuguese coach, for now, has not translated that loss of influence into his decisions. Vinicius remains among the chosen and against Betis he once again completed the match while the pieces around him changed. The bet has logic: few players offer a ceiling comparable to the Brazilian when he recovers his best version.

But it is also starting to cost, because on the bench waits a player signed precisely to increase the team's attacking options. Diomande embodies that new pressure. As Güler grows and becomes indispensable, attention on the left side increases. Vinicius no longer plays surrounded by the vacuum that protects the untouchable.

Difficult to take Arda off, yes. Very difficult. Because he was playing very well.

The new order of Real Madrid's attack

The attacking landscape at the Spanish club has been reordered. Mbappé is not up for debate, Bellingham maintains his weight through performance, and Güler has gone from contender to indispensable. Diomande continues to wait, and the competition that seemed concentrated on the right flank is starting to look for space on the other side.

Mourinho has not yet posed a choice between the Ivorian and Vinicius, and perhaps it is too early to do so. But the Brazilian no longer plays with the safety net that protects the untouchable. As Güler consolidates his growth and Diomande awaits his moment, Vinicius' standing shrinks.