At a Glance:
- Martin Odegaard is a fan of one Atletico veteran
- Odegaard is also aware of the threat the player will pose in the Champions League semi-final
- The Norwegian captain offers his outlook on Arsenal’s trophy chances
Arsenal’s match against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final is sure to bring drama, but some niceties between the teams have been exchanged, too.
The two clubs could engage in transfer negotiations over the summer, with Arsenal reportedly having an interest in adding Atletico forward Julian Alvarez to their team.
Mikel Arteta confirmed which players were in and out of the team ahead of the semi-final in yesterday’s press conference, while Gunners captain Martin Odegaard also answered questions from the press.
Odegaard revealed which player in the current Atletico Madrid team he admires, and how that player could be a big influence in how the clash between the two teams turns out.
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Antoine Griezmann is someone that Martin Odegaard ‘admires a lot’
When asked by the media about his thoughts regarding Antoine Griezmann and the form that the 35-year-old has shown in Spain this year, Martin Odegaard was very complimentary towards the modern French legend.
“He’s a great player and someone I’ve watched a lot in the last [few] years and [he is] someone I admire a lot, you know… a great player.[overall],” said Odegaard.
Griezmann has scored seven goals in 29 league games for Atletico this season, now in the fourth year of his second spell at the team, having initially left for Barcelona in 2019.
Odegaard also stated that “hopefully we [Arsenal] can keep him quiet tomorrow, [regardless of him being a] good player.”
Griezmann is now halfway through his 30s, and is used by Atletico within link-up play more rather than as an out-and-out striker. While his assist total is not high—five assists in 49 games, simply watching Griezmann can tell you about how intelligent a player he is.
Odegaard delivers verdict on Arsenal’s chances of winning the Champions League
When asked how far Arsenal can go in this season’s Champions League, Odegaard responded confidently without going over the top.
“We want to win every single game we play, and every trophy we fight for, we want to win it. So that’s the mindset. Of course, we want to do something more than last year. Last year [we were] out in the semi-final and we want to go further this year and show that we’ve improved.”
