Martin Ødegaard returns to Real Madrid after an incredible one-season loan stint with Real Sociedad.
In January 2015, a special 16-year-old Norwegian was signed by Real Madrid from Tippeligaen (now Eliteserien, Norway’s first division) outfit Strømsgodset. Having already participated in training with several big clubs from Europe, the player chose Real Madrid as his new home.
Reading the title of this column, it’s a no-brainer that I am talking about the marvelous Martin Ødegaard. After making his debut for Real Madrid against Getafe on the last matchday of the 2014-15 season in La Liga, the buzzing playmaker will be a first-team player for the club in 2020-21.
Even though he has appeared just twice for the first-team, he holds the record of being the youngest ever player to represent Los Blancos (quite a feat). However, after three years of grinding at the Eredivisie with SC Heerenveen and Vitesse, and another year with Real Sociedad, where he was one of the best players in the league, Real Madrid welcome their future king of midfield.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is probably the first time Zinedine Zidane has recalled an on-loan player by cutting short the player’s duration of the loan. When the season began, Real Sociedad acquired Ødegaard on loan for two seasons (La Liga doesn’t officially allow a loan deal for more than one season, but the loan deal can be extended after the end of the first season. Real Madrid and Real Sociedad had a verbal pact of keeping Martin Ødegaard at the Basque club for two seasons.). Ødegaard himself expressed his desire to remain at Reale Arena for the 2020-21 season several times during the season.
From being called a ‘finished and overrated kid’ to being recalled by Zinedine Zidane midway from his loan, Ødegaard has finally returned to bejewel the Santiago Bernabéu pitch. The moment that he has been waiting for, for five years, has finally come. Years of adversity and hard work have paid off. It will be fascinating to see how he fits in at the club, how Zidane will use him, how his minutes will be managed, and which formations would bring the best out of him.
Ødegaard’s playing style and preferred role(s)
If you saw Real Sociedad play in 2019-20 for the first time, you wouldn’t believe the fact that they finished outside the top four. The Basque side were absolutely fantastic. Imanol Alguacil formed a team capable of breaking any defence down. They weren’t precisely ruthless like Manchester City, but their football was the most enjoyable during the first half of the season in all of Spain by some distance.
Ødegaard deserves the credit for that. Everything flowed through his silken feet, and his actions made the moves look as smooth as butter. He loves to dribble with the ball at his feet, taking on players and navigating through the lines. Ødegaard likes to receive the ball between the lines and is very adept at recycling possession. Through balls are his USP, savagely piercing the teams with his needle-eyed accuracy. He is also known to play lofted balls for on-rushing players into the box.
He is quick both on and off the ball and loves to have freedom on the pitch to exhibit an array of technical proficiencies. He is a press-resistant player and can easily make his way out of pressure put on by the opposition. His vision is incredible and will only improve as he develops. In terms of similar players, his playing style is Özilesque.
As with all Real Madrid midfielders in the current squad, he loves to shoot from distance and could be a handy goalscoring option when the attack would lack venom. However, that’s precisely what he is being recalled for – to play free-flowing football and set up teammates for easy goals while chipping in with some himself. Real Madrid haven’t had a reliable free-kick taker since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, so Martin Ødegaard would end the free-kick misery with his impressive dead-ball prowess.
Talking about his defending, he is a good presser. He can track back during a counter-attack by the opposition. He can also double up with the full-back to combat the opposition winger.
Since he is a left-footed player, he feels more comfortable playing on the right side of the pitch. He can play as a right winger, as a central midfielder, or as a central attacking midfielder. In my opinion, Martin Ødegaard will express himself in the best way as a central attacking midfielder or as an inverted right winger (rather than an out-and-out winger like Vinícius Júnior). He prefers to start on the right but drift towards more central areas of the pitch, where he can impose himself.
How would Zidane use Ødegaard tactically?
Zidane managing Ødegaard dates back to 2015 when Zidane was coaching Real Madrid Castilla. To acclimatize to life in Spain, Ødegaard played for Real Madrid Castilla under Zidane.
The 2019-20 season saw Zidane experiment with various formations for different matches. The 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 diamond formations were the most used formations by Zizou.
Ødegaard can play in two positions in a 4-3-3 – either on the right wing in the front three or on the right side of central midfield where Luka Modrić usually plays. Starting in midfield would mean more defensive duties, which would make no sense. Playing as a right winger would mean a higher output of goals and assists, but he would lack the necessary speed to play as a winger and be a menace to full-backs. With Marco Asensio and Rodrygo Goes as right wingers, the chances of Zidane using Ødegaard on the right wing are negligible. But never say never.
With the plethora of options in midfield, Zidane could start with five midfielders in the same game (not every game though). Ødegaard would be the most advanced midfielder (almost a second striker) in that formation, dropping deep if need be, but mostly conjuring his magic around the penalty area.
If Ødegaard starts in a diamond formation, he will be at the tip of the diamond. The 4-4-2 could also be forged into an asymmetric 4-3-3, with Eden Hazard and Karim Benzema starting up top. Martin Ødegaard would float in the middle of the park and drift towards the right where he can cut inside and use his left foot to score goals or create chances. You could relate it to how Isco usually operates in a 4-4-2. Isco drifts towards the left wing while playing as the playmaker. Ødegaard would drop to the right, hence avoiding the numerical imbalance on the left as experienced whenever Isco plays.
Dani Carvajal would benefit a lot with Ødegaard’s presence, and his under/overlapping runs would be fed by with Ødegaard’s through balls into the final third.
Zidane will probably benefit the most from Ødegaard’s talent if a 4-2-3-1 formation is used, with the Norwegian playing as a pure number 10. Ødegaard wouldn’t have to worry about the defensive duties because of the presence of a double-pivot. Having wingers could create better chemistry and Fede Valverde’s chances of featuring in 4-2-3-1 increase as well.
What to expect from Martin Ødegaard
James Rodríguez seems to be the only midfielder on his way out, so it would be intriguing to see how Zidane manages Ødegaard’s minutes. He will certainly have to earn his place in the starting XI as there are players who have already established themselves in the team.
Zidane personally called Ødegaard to persuade him to be a Real Madrid player next season. Not many players are fortunate enough to receive a call from Zizou personally. The manager’s obsession with Ødegaard shows that he is going to be an essential member of the team.
I have seen everyone getting hyped up about Ødegaard’s return. Let me get this straight. He is not going to usurp the likes of Toni Kroos or Luka Modrić just yet. He will start by being a part of Zidane’s rotational puzzle. This season is going to be about his integration into the first team than anything else.
Ødegaard is a unique player. There are no doubts about it. But Madridistas will have to be patient with both the player and the manager as Zidane might have different plans than what we expect. Ødegaard will definitely get a lot of opportunities. He might even start big games. However, it would be criminal to expect him to hit the ground running straightaway. Wearing the Real Madrid shirt brings an entirely different set of challenges.
As we await Ødegaard to return to Valdebebas and participate in his first training session, I am sure that he is going to give Madridistas moments of joy for years to come. The time for Martin Ødegaard to shine has finally arrived.