Dominik Szoboszlai couldn’t stop Hungary from suffering a 3-0 loss to Turkey during their UEFA Nations League match. The Liverpool midfielder had a notable confrontation with a Real Madrid player on the field.
After Hungary’s defeat on Sunday evening, Szoboszlai seemed to take a jab at a Real Madrid star, who has now responded in kind.
Szoboszlai and his Hungarian teammates faced a 3-0 (6-0 on aggregate) defeat against Turkey, who celebrated their promotion to UEFA Nations League A with this victory.
During the match, Szoboszlai clashed with Turkey and Madrid player Arda Guler, who had already scored a goal.
A viral image captured Guler putting his finger to his lips, seemingly telling Szoboszlai to be quiet amidst their dispute over a decision.
Shortly after, a Hungarian sports channel posted the picture on Instagram with the caption: ‘Arda Guler told Dominik Szoboszlai to be quiet.’
Sharp-eyed fans quickly noticed Szoboszlai’s comment on the post: ‘1088’, signifying the total minutes Guler has played for Madrid this season.
In a humorous comeback, Guler shared a post on his Instagram story the following day.
He posted a picture displaying the match score along with a caption that read: ‘this guy is a joke. Isn’t six goals enough to shut you up?’ accompanied by a shush emoji.
Additionally, the scoreboard was cleverly edited to indicate ‘Szoboszlai 1 Instagram comment’ where Hungary’s goal scorers would typically be listed.
For context, Szoboszlai has logged 2,887 minutes in midfield for Liverpool this season.
Since joining Madrid from Turkey’s Fenerbahce in 2023, Guler has struggled to secure a consistent starting position due to the team’s wealth of attacking talent.
Despite making 31 appearances for the Spanish side, only six were as a starter in LaLiga, as coach Carlo Ancelotti often prefers to utilize him as a substitute.
His national teammate, Hakan Calhanoglou from Inter Milan, has recently expressed his desire for Guler to receive more playing time.
Calhanoglou stated: ‘I don’t know what his situation is at Real Madrid, so I don’t want to get too involved, but I believe he deserves to play more minutes.’
Meanwhile, Turkey’s coach, Vincenzo Montella, praised Guler, saying: ‘He’s shown significant improvement in attitude and character. He’s learned to fight and is here with us due to his exceptional talent.’
As for Szoboszlai, he has made 40 appearances for Liverpool, contributing seven goals and five assists this season.
Before the international break, Liverpool faced a tough stretch, suffering defeats against PSG and Newcastle.
Szoboszlai will be eager to help his side bounce back when they host rivals Everton in their next Premier League match.
Currently, Liverpool sits 12 points clear at the top of the table, inching closer to a historic league title.