Real Madrid: With Martin Odegaard, it’s about class and not form

Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard has put together scintillating performances all season long for Real Sociedad, and he turned up the heat to close 2019.

Considering Martin Odegaard scored a wonderful direct free kick from outside the box on his birthday after setting up Mikel Oyarzabal with an ingenious assist in a 4-3 win over Osasuna, it’s no surprise to see that the Real Madrid loanee finished the year as one of the most in-form players in La Liga.

WhoScored.com has a weighted rating from a player’s last six appearances that shows which players in Europe’s top five leagues are in the best form. Heading into the holiday break, the Real Sociedad attacking midfielder ranks fifth in La Liga in the site’s form rankings. More recent matches are weighted heavier than the league game occurring six contests ago, so Odegaard heads into the break with a wave of momentum.

Odegaard has been incredible all season long, so Madridistas and fans of La Real can expect the Norway international to pick up where he left off when Sociedad face Villarreal on Sunday, Jan. 5.

This season, Odegaard is fourth among all players in La Liga in WhoScored.com rating. In fact, only three of the best players in the world are ahead of him in Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, Real Madrid’s free-scoring Karim Benzema, and top defensive midfielder Casemiro. So if we count Odegaard as a player from Madrid, the top five best players of the season are owned by Los Blancos.

It’s been a sensational campaign from Odegaard, who is only 21 but should already be considered world class. He’s scored four goals with five assists for Real Sociedad already, and it looks like he’ll add many more to his tally in the second half of the season.

Odegaard is fifth among all La Liga players in terms of form heading into the break, but he’s also in the top five in terms of overall performance this year. With him, it’s not just about “form”. It’s about “class”. Fans try not to put too much pressure on young players by already heaping praise on them, but Odegaard’s confidence, intelligence, technical ability, and work rate are all typical of a starter who has truly reached the “world class” level. The fact that he’s consistently among La Liga’s highest-performing players shows it.

Real Sociedad head into the break as the fifth-place team in the league, as they are only one point behind Atletico Madrid. Their play runs through Odegaard, so they have the Whites’ defender to thank for their success.