When Manchester United needed an attacking spark against Reading on Saturday evening, few expected Casemiro to provide it. However, the Brazilian midfielder made a brilliant forward run, latched onto Antony's pass, and chipped the ball over goalkeeper Joe Lumley, proving he is more than just a defensive destroyer.
Since joining from Real Madrid last summer, Casemiro has been tasked with anchoring United's midfield, breaking up play, and protecting the defence. Under Erik ten Hag, he has flourished in that role, but he has also brought an unexpected attacking dimension. His brace against Reading took his tally of direct goal contributions this season to nine in all competitions, behind only Marcus Rashford (23), Bruno Fernandes (12), and Christian Eriksen (11).
While Casemiro is stereotypically known as a deep-lying midfielder who does the dirty work, his season-on-season statistics from Real Madrid show that his attacking contributions should not be surprising. In four of his eight full seasons at Madrid, he reached double figures for goals and assists, with a peak of 13 in 2020/21. He only dipped below five once, in his debut season.
Manager Erik ten Hag admitted after the Reading win that he has been surprised by Casemiro's offensive output. 'We know he's a great player,' ten Hag said. 'He's capable of that. What I like is dynamic football with variations, with many positional switches.'
Casemiro's ability to create chances and score goals offers United an extra dimension. His assists for Cristiano Ronaldo against Everton and for Marcus Rashford against Charlton Athletic are prime examples of his vision and passing range. He is the glue in this United team in more ways than one.
