It took a long while, but Martin Odegaard is delivering the goods.
The teen phenom whose recruitment carried a captive audience five years ago is now a 21-year-old proven playmaker in two leagues.
Odegaard scored again Thursday as Real Sociedad took a Copa Del Rey semifinal first-leg lead with a 2-1 win over second-tier Mirandes.
The second leg is March 5 in Castile and León, where Mirandes looks to make history as a Copa del Rey finalist from outside La Liga.
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Mikel Oyarzabal gave Real Sociedad a ninth-minute lead on Thursday before Matheus Aias leveled the score for Cinderella in the 39th. Odegaard found the match-winner in the 42nd.
That gives the Real Madrid loanee three goals and three assists in four tournament matches for the Txuri-urdinak.
Odegaard had already captured the attention of some of the world’s biggest clubs when he was called up by Norway at age 15. Barcelona was linked, and the kid said he loved Liverpool on a visit that came shortly after he hit up Old Trafford.
He eventually chose Real Madrid, debuting with the first team in 2014/15 but only making one more senior appearance in 2016/17 before heading on loan to Heerenveen in the Netherlands.
Odegaard showed glimpses of class there, but really took off with 11 goals and 12 assists for Vitesse Arnhem last season.
Now he has Real Sociedad on the brink of a first Copa del Rey final since 1988, collecting seven goals and eight assists in 24 matches.
