Real Madrid: 3 players who must step up with Toni Kroos injured

Real Madrid AM Martin Odegaard

Watch out for Martin Odegaard. The newest addition to the Real Madrid lineup for the 2020-2021 season, Odegaard made his debut in the starting lineup against Real Sociedad, showing his talent once again at the Anoeta Stadium after starring for La Real on loan in 2019-2020.

While Odegaard didn’t score or assist in the 0-0 draw, the Norway international was a standout in terms of his movement and passing. Odegaard is the kind of player who can create a chance from nothing with his vision, and he can weigh passes perfectly into the penalty box, hitting a forward in stride.

Against Real Betis, the 21-year-old didn’t have the incisive impact he would have hoped, but he still completed nearly 96 percent of his passes before making way for Isco, who was a better fit for the opposition at hand.

Odegaard is a key player for Real Madrid. Like Toni Kroos, he’s an accurate passer who is great at pressing, can score goals himself, and loves creating chance. He’s a much different player from Luka Modric or Kroos, but he has intriguing similarities to both, such as his ball-carrying when it comes to the Modric comparisons.

A likely starter against Real Valladolid, Levante, or both, Odegaard has quickly become a key player in Zinedine Zidane’s plans. But that doesn’t surprise Madridistas.