Real Madrid: 5 burning questions after 1-1 draw with Villarreal

Are we about to see Martin Odegaard go off?

If Raphael Varane was the best player on the pitch and Mariano Diaz was the goal-scoring hero, then Martin Odegaard was arguably the best attacking-minded player in the match.

Odegaard’s return to the starting XI was highly-anticipated after he made a cameo appearance at the Mestalla before the break in his return from injury. Although Odegaard started the season slowly while adjusting to the new team, he gave fans so much optimism with his incredible assists for the national team over the break before his injury.

On Saturday, the Norwegian midfielder had about 93 passes completed and showed the passing accuracy and range we’ve come to expect from the man who pulled the strings in San Sebastian to great success.

He wasn’t as involved in the final third or in his defensive work, but Odegaard is easing back into things. In terms of his decision-making and movement, Odegaard was a difference-maker for Real Madrid, as evidenced by how poor the team was without him.

Based on what we’ve seen from him in his starts at Real Sociedad and Villarreal in road games against two of the league’s best-performing teams this season, there should be a lot of optimism surrounding Odegaard. Maybe he’ll put together a big-time performance at the San Siro in a few days.