Casemiro forgot the first rule of being Casemiro. Briefly, anyway. A master of stealth had acted entirely typically by emerging unnoticed, even if the terrain – the Chelsea FC penalty area – was unexpected. But the towering, terrific header that brought an injury-time equaliser meant even he could not remain anonymous indefinitely.
Admittedly, he was overshadowed in the post-match debate. Roy Keane’s rants concerned a player with 450 goals for Real Madrid, not one with a relatively meagre 31. Casemiro spent years in the supporting cast at the Bernabeu. Even after an outstanding display, a first United goal and a point-saving intervention, he was relegated to the ranks of the subplot again. It felt entirely in character.
