Win five Champions Leagues, three Club World Cups, three La Ligas and a Copa America and a Carabao Cup may only feature on the second page of a CV. The medal could lie forgotten at the back of a drawer. The man-of-the-match award for the final could go unmentioned. After all, Real Madrid won 15 finals in Casemiro’s time at the Bernabeu, usually with him anchoring the midfield. But Manchester United reached and won the first with him. Winning, after all, is what Casemiro does.
It felt entirely appropriate that Newcastle were beaten in a large part due to the Brazilian. The opening goal takes on a disproportionate importance in their games and Casemiro, rising to meet Luke Shaw’s free kick, attacking the cross, assumed the responsibility for scoring it. In part, that is what he does: decide if a job needs doing, he will do it himself. The tackler-in-chief has given United added aerial ability in each box. Either he goes to the ball or it finds him. Whichever, Casemiro has the charisma few defensive midfielders possess.
