Why does Athena favor Odysseus in Book 1 of the Odyssey?

There is not a point in Homer's epic The Odyssey in which the mighty Zeus's daughter, Athena, states the reason or reasons for her determined efforts on Odysseus's behalf. Throughout The Odyssey, Athena champions Odysseus's cause--his return home to his wife and son--and thwarts Poseidon's equally determined efforts at sabotaging the mortal hero of the Trojan War's journey home. What can logically be surmised, however, is that Athena greatly loves and respects Odysseus, and...

There is not a point in Homer's epic The Odyssey in which the mighty Zeus's daughter, Athena, states the reason or reasons for her determined efforts on Odysseus's behalf. Throughout The Odyssey, Athena champions Odysseus's cause--his return home to his wife and son--and thwarts Poseidon's equally determined efforts at sabotaging the mortal hero of the Trojan War's journey home. What can logically be surmised, however, is that Athena greatly loves and respects Odysseus, and ample evidence of this affection is offered at the outset of Book I. Early in The Odyssey, Athena appeals to her father, the most powerful of all the gods, for Zeus's support for Odysseus. Note, in the following passages, Athena's obvious devotion to and love for Odysseus:

". . .my heart breaks for Odysseus, that seasoned veteran cursed by fate so long — far from his loved ones still, he suffers torments off on a wave-washed island rising at the center of the seas. . .

"Olympian Zeus, have you no care for him in your lofty heart? Did he never win your favor with sacrifices burned beside the ships on the broad plain of Troy? Why, Zeus, why so dead set against Odysseus?"

As Zeus responds to his beloved daughter's entreaties on Odysseus's behalf, he rejects any notion of hostility towards the mortal hero of the Trojan War. On the contrary, he professes a certain fondness for Odysseus--a fondness evident in his willingness to allow Athena to battle Poseidon's efforts at denying Odysseus the latter's goal, to return home to Penelope and Telemachus. 

As noted, Athena's interest in Odysseus's welfare is pervasive throughout Homer's story. She respects Odysseus, and gives every indication of loving him. She does not say outright why she wants to help him, but her words are so filled with admiration for Odysseus that one can easily conclude that aids him in his voyage because she loves him.