Real Madrid with Valverde and Arbeloa's 'Youth Academy'

Federico Valverde scored once more, with artistic flair, and Arda Guler crafted a wonder from 60 meters, in the goal celebration of Real Madrid's "youth squad" led by manager Arbeloa.

Almost without much concern for the Champions League round of 16 return leg, Alvaro Arbeloa succeeded in maintaining the winning momentum for Real Madrid, continuing hopes for a double trophy at the end of the season.

Valverde and the "Youth Academy"

In a few years, people might recall that March week, when Fede Valverde was the world's best player. After a wild hat-trick against Man City, the Uruguayan midfielder continued his sublime form with a stunning goal that secured the 4-1 win over Elche at Bernabeu. It was a moment of artistry, as he initiated the attack, broke through the center, combined with Fran Garcia, adjusted the ball, and executed a magnificent right-footed curler.

Valverde's goal – his third consecutive across competitions (5 goals) – was Real Madrid's second in the match against Elche in La Liga round 28. Antonio Rudiger opened the scoring with a stylish flick inside the box, also stemming from a Valverde free-kick that caused goalkeeper Dituro to mishandle, leading to chaos in front of the goal. The victory kept the Royal team's hopes alive for competing for the La Liga title with Barcelona, awaiting their rival to be hindered by Atletico after the international break (April 5).

A fairly comfortable win for "Real Madrid's youth squad," as Alvaro Arbeloa ended the match with a lineup featuring up to 8 academy players, among them Arda Guler scoring a historic goal from his own half – the team's fourth. The Turkish midfielder noticed Dituro advancing too high and executed a precise shot from about 68 meters.

Coach Arbeloa wasn't overly concerned about fitness after the midweek match, or the crucial battle in Manchester on Tuesday night, when selecting the starting lineup. He wanted to maintain the positive momentum of the core framework, avoiding excessive rotation despite the team having up to 10 injuries (Mbappe, Rodrygo, Alaba, Mendy, Bellingham, Carreras, Mastantuono, Militao, Ceballos, Asencio). Rudiger, Tchouameni, Valverde, and Vinicius still featured alongside Brahim Diaz, Thiago, and Huijsen.

The few changes were Carvajal, Fran Garcia, and Camavinga. The rest remained nearly the same lineup that faced Man City. Because even though Champions League awaits in 72 hours, Real Madrid and Arbeloa still wanted to leverage the European excitement to continue chasing the La Liga race. However, the atmosphere at Bernabeu no longer felt like before. The team clearly sensed a slower pace after the frenzy, the difference between domestic league and Champions League. Less adrenaline, less noise.

On the opposite side, Elche proactively deployed their play, led by a very energetic Sarabia on the wing. The visitors controlled more possession but didn't exert real pressure on Courtois's goal. It was rather harmless control, more tactical than sharp attacking. Real Madrid accepted that development, defended tightly, pressed when needed, and accelerated when opportunities arose. By halftime, the match was nearly decided with two goals in five minutes from Rudiger and Valverde.

Arbeloa fulfills his promise

Real Madrid – a team that feared a difficult evening – quickly found breathing room in a fairly comfortable match. That also gave Arbeloa more reason to "give value to the academy," as he had stated many times since the Man City win. "The young players know they have a big opportunity. The first-team coach understands them better than anyone. They understand Real Madrid's demands and know that I trust them," Arbeloa said in his first press conference after Xabi Alonso's departure. Two months later, he has kept his word.

Within less than an hour of play, Arbeloa withdrew three key players Vinicius, Valverde, and Tchouameni for rest, sending in Guler, Gonzalo Garcia, and Dani Yanez. Yanez debuted at Girona in December 2024 but hadn't had additional minutes since. Over two minutes later, Diego Aguado was given his chance when replacing Rudiger. This youngster debuted in the King's Cup in January 2025 against Deportivo Minera but had never played in La Liga.

Not stopping there, Arbeloa continued "shaking the La Fabrica tree," bringing in Manuel Angel and Palacios to replace Brahim and Thiago Pitarch – also recent academy phenomena. Real Madrid played nearly the final 30 minutes with 7 players grown from the academy (including Carvajal and Fran Garcia) – something very rare for the Royal team. Yanez assisted Huijsen's headed goal. Manuel Angel unintentionally scored an own goal after Camavinga's mistake, giving Elche a consolation goal. But the final highlight belonged to Guler with his extraordinary goal.

"It almost evokes memories of Real Madrid during the 'Quinta del Buitre' era. I'm sure Emilio Butragueno is very proud of what he saw," Arbeloa smiled as the match ended with an average age of 23.3. He self-evaluated: "For someone grown from the academy, a first-team coach promoted from the youth academy after working for several clubs, this is an immensely happy and proud day. It's not easy to display such personality, talent, and heart. This is a memorable night for all Madridistas."

It's too early to know which of these "kids" will maintain a regular spot in the first team when the pillars recover, but this truly is Arbeloa's own victory, especially while continuously witnessing Barcelona winning with La Masia. Because this isn't merely about listing the lineup or a performance for the audience.