Before every game at Emirates Stadium, Martin Odegaard lifts the lid on the mood in the camp via his captain’s notes published in the matchday programme.
Ahead of this evening’s Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, the skipper lifts the lid on the mood in the camp, our previous meeting with the Parisians this season and how we’ve developed our big-game mentality. Here is a snippet:
You could really feel the excitement and confidence around the training ground in the last few days building up to this game.
We are all looking forward to it and, especially after our two games against Real Madrid, we are taking a really good feeling and a lot of confidence into this semi-final with PSG. Also the experience we had here at Emirates Stadium last time in the quarter-final – the atmosphere was incredible and we want to have that same feeling again tonight.
We want to show we can do it again, and be even better this time, so we can’t wait to be out there on the pitch. I’m sure the atmosphere will be unbelievable again, so it’s down to us now.
We played PSG earlier this season, but I missed that game through injury. I was at the stadium that night to watch and I remember it being a really controlled performance from us. It felt like they were never able to threaten us that much during the game – we dominated everything and generally we were really solid all round.
That was very early in the season, and I think it’s a different test we’re going to face now. They were missing some players back then and I think also they work really well as a team now, and they have been showing their quality in this competition over a long period. They have been playing at an unbelievable level so of course we know they are a top side and a lot stronger now. But saying that, I feel that we are also stronger too, so it’s going to be a great game I’m sure.
It will be a different type of game from the last time we played, and also now we’re in the knockout stages, which changes the dynamic too. We can definitely use that win over them in October to our advantage though. I think you can always look back at previous meetings to see their patterns and how they want to play. Their style and everything will be similar, and it’s the same two coaches as when we last played. But the occasion is a completely different story now. It’s a semi-final, over two legs, when everything is on the line. We have to be ready for the test.We’ve shown already this season that we can step up for the big matches. That’s a result of the way we’ve been working over the past few years and the way we prepare for these big moments.We’ve been working together as a group for a long time and everyone is really confident in each other. We trust each other. We know what to do on the pitch, and when it comes to games like this, we know what it means and how important it is.
These are the games you dream of your whole life. It’s a great feeling. I think it’s just a special occasion and everyone is really up for that. Nights like this give you a lot of energy, especially when we are here at home. Above all, we really want to win something. There is so much motivation around, and we are determined to show what we can do.
Read the rest of Martin’s notes, as well as a host of other fantastic content, by buying the Arsenal v PSG programme either around the stadium or online.
