How can Real Madrid line up with Martin Ødegaard in the XI?

The return of Martin Ødegaard means he might be an important piece of the Real Madrid puzzle in 2020-21.

Although Real Madrid haven’t splashed any money by making a move for big-money signings, they looked at the treasure chest of young talent at their disposal in the form of a superstar loanee, Martin Ødegaard. Had he been an actual summer signing, he would have easily been a better signing than the ‘best signing’ of most teams in Europe’s top five leagues.

Real Madrid’s original plan was to let Ødegaard complete the second year of his two-year loan deal at Reale Arena, but according to a report from Spanish radio outlet Onda Cero in August, Zidane personally requested for the player to be recalled. The Champions League elimination fueled Zidane’s decision to recall the 21-year-old from Real Sociedad.

Zidane, as has been his trademark during each of his two managerial stints at the Santiago Bernabéu, pulled a rabbit out of his hat by recalling Ødegaard. Ødegaard’s entourage, and the player himself, were clear about him continuing his loan with the Basque club.

When it was confirmed that Martin Ødegaard would be returning to Real Madrid, I wrote a column where I analyzed how he would fit in at Real Madrid, dissecting his playing style and discussing his roles/positions in the lineup in brief.

In this article, I will be taking a look at the strongest lineups that Zidane would field with the inclusion of Martin Ødegaard, while also taking a look at what are the advantages of playing Ødegaard in a particular formation, in a particular role/position on the pitch. Zidane used various formations in the 2019-20 season, and with Ødegaard in the mix, it would be intriguing to see just how can the Frenchman exploit Ødegaard’s prowess.