Martin Odegaard calls out Bernardo Silva, saying he ‘totally lost it’ during the Norway vs Portugal game.
Martin Odegaard was clearly upset with Bernardo Silva after a late tackle from the former Manchester City player during Sunday’s Nations League game between Norway and Portugal.
Portugal secured their second win in a row under new coach Jorge Jesus, thanks to goals from Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos, beating Norway 2-1.
One big moment in the game in Oslo was when Arsenal captain Odegaard was left limping after Silva’s late challenge that hit him at the back of the leg.
Odegaard was clearly angry and confronted Silva, who seemed to ignore him by looking away. Later, Odegaard, seen limping as he headed to the Norway team bus, talked about the incident in a post-match interview with Norwegian TV channel TV 2.
“He completely lost his head,” Odegaard said. “He kicked me long after I’d played the ball. I didn’t understand what he was doing.”
The 27-year-old also shared an update on his injury: “I took a knock to my ankle. It probably won’t feel great tonight, but I hope it gets better in a few days.”
Odegaard wasn’t the only Norway player upset about Silva’s tackle. Defender Leo Ostigaard said it looked “quite deliberate.”
“It’s really ugly,” he told Norwegian TV. “It’s just really bad. These things aren’t what we want from our captain. It came so late it looks intentional. Watching the video afterwards, it’s very unpleasant. It could definitely have been a red card.”
When Silva walked past reporters after the game, he was asked about the tackle but simply said, “My friend, it’s football,” before leaving.
Norway’s Erling Haaland scored his 65th international goal to level the score at 1-1, but Portugal quickly took the lead again when AC Milan’s Goncalo Ramos scored the winner.
Norway will look to get back on track with a win against Wales on Thursday (October), while Portugal faces Denmark, hoping to keep their unbeaten start in the Nations League.
The teams will meet again on Sunday (October 4), which could see Odegaard and Silva face off once more.