Porto's decorated defender, Pepe, has shared his thoughts on Martin Odegaard's performance in Arsenal's nail-biting victory over his Portuguese outfit on Tuesday. The Dragons visited the Emirates Stadium with a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals at stake.
Despite leading 1-0 from the first leg, not many were backing Porto against the Gunners. However, the visitors put up an impressive display, restricting Arsenal effectively while also posing an attacking threat. Leandro Trossard scored for Arsenal, levelling the tie on aggregate, but they couldn't find the crucial second goal to secure their place. The match went to penalties and Brazilian duo Wendell and Galeno missed their spot-kicks for Porto, sending Arsenal through.
One of the standout performances on the night came from the vastly experienced Pepe. At 41, he still going strong in his second stint with Porto. The former Real Madrid star was exceptional on Tuesday night, delivering a dominant performance in Porto's defence. Pepe was pleased with how Porto handled Odegaard, whom he crossed paths with at Real Madrid.
Pepe spoke to Record about how Porto managed to 'neutralise' Odegaard and limit what Arsenal could do in their game and although the Primeira League team didn't win, their captain was proud of how they handled Odegaard.
"Both teams worked hard, we neutralised Arsenal's game a lot, we can't forget that they are a great team and that they score a lot of goals in the Premier League," Pepe said. "We came here to play our game, we neutralised Odegaard's game between the lines. The team had a very mature attitude on the field, knowing what they were doing, but unfortunately we couldn't score. The game went to extra time and then on penalties they had that extra point."
Despite Pepe's satisfaction Odegaard still made a big impact with an amazing assist for Trossard's goal. The Gunners captain touched the ball less than other Arsenal midfielders, only 57 times, and lost it eight times as well. But even with Pepe and Porto trying hard, Odegaard showed he still has special skills when it mattered most.
