A creative player with excellent vision, Guardado is also a technically proficient player known for establishing the tempo of his team. He also has good passing and dribbling skills, also being proficient at free kicks, penalties and holding up the ball. He also possesses a powerful and accurate shot from distance, and is also capable of aiding his team defensively due to his work rate and stamina; additionally, he was described as playing closer to the "Iberian midfielder archetype," focused on possession in the center of the field, winning the ball back with smart positioning instead of tackles and then pushing it forward.