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Talking points from the weekend in LaLiga

football21 September 2020 11:57| © AFP
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Marvin Park © Getty Images

FROM BIRKENHEAD TO THE BERNABEU

Without the unfit Eden Hazard and having moved Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez on to pastures new, Real Madrid turned to 20-year-old winger Marvin Park to try and force a breakthrough in their 0-0 draw at Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Marvin, a former Tranmere Rovers youth player, was brought on for his debut by Zinedine Zidane, offering a threat on the right side.

The midfielder, whose Wikipedia page was hastily assembled after his introduction, is eligible to play for the Spanish national team, having been born in Mallorca, or his parents' countries Nigeria and South Korea.

Zidane's move shows how little he thinks of his attacking reserves Luka Jovic and Mariano Diaz, who were left on the bench with the team needing a goal.

President Florentino Perez will have noticed and may have to take action in the transfer market, with Real Madrid yet to sign anybody for this season.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE

Cadiz goalkeeper Alberto Cifuentes showed it's never too late to follow your dreams as he became La Liga's oldest debutant at the age of 41.

The promoted side recorded their first win of the season with a 2-0 triumph at Huesca and the cherry on the cake was Cifuentes's record.

He is also the oldest player to feature this season in the division, but has some way to go to beat Real Sociedad's Harry Lowe, their coach who in the 1930s played at the age of 48 years and 226 days old when only 10 other players were available.

ODEGAARD RETURNS TO REAL LINEUP

Martin Odegaard, then 15, arrived at Real Madrid in 2015 in a whirlwind of publicity and hype which soon faded, leaving a small fish in a extremely big pond.

It looked like the Norwegian midfielder was doomed to failure but after several loan spells he found his feet.

Odegaard thrived in La Liga with Real Sociedad last season and Zidane liked what he saw, bringing him home for the current campaign.

Against Sociedad on Sunday, Odegaard made his first La Liga appearance for the club in 1 947 days, playing in his favoured attacking midfield role and putting in a decent display.

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