Casemiro was a serial winner with Real Madrid and on Saturday he kept Manchester United’s trophy hunt going strong in the FA Cup. (More Football News)
The Brazil international struck twice in four second-half minutes a🗹s United won against seco☂nd-division Reading 3-1 and progressed to the fifth round.
On Wednesday, Erik ten Hag’s improving team put a foot in the League Cup final by beating Not🌠tingham Forest 3-0 in the first leg of the semifinals.
There is growing belief among United fans that a six-year wait for a trophy will come to an end this season, with the club also still in the Eur🐭opa League where a much-anticipated clash with Barcelona is coming next month.
If Ten Hag is to lift silverware in his first season🅷 as manager, Casemiro will be pivotal to that success.
“He is really important with all his experience but he is such a smart player andౠ intelligent,” Ten Hag said.🦩 “He knows the positions, how to deal with the ball and also he is creative as well and we are really happy with him. He is important for the improvement of the team.
“Wh🎐en you see his profile, if you see performances over his last years for Real Madrid, he is magnifice🐷nt.”
Casemiro won five Champions Leagues and th🦄ree Spanish titles with Madrid b🌳ut left last summer for a new challenge in England.
Ten Hag wanted to add his winning mentality to a team that ha🙈d seen Manchester City and Liverpool dominate the Premier League in recent years. His influence was evident against a Reading team that withstood United’s dominance until the 54th minute.
It was a performance that und🐽erlined how much Casemiro was m💝issed when he was suspended for the 3-2 loss to Arsenal last week, which left United 11 points behind the league leader.
With the midfielder in the starting lineup, United has lost only two of 21 games in all com꧟petitions, compared to fo𝕴ur of 11 without him.
Reading manager Paul Incꩲe was a title-winning midfielder with United in the 1990s and outlined what Casemiro must do if he is to help return the club to its former glories.
“When you play for Man United, it’s not what you do against Reading or other teams, Leicester or Southampton, no disrespect,” Ince said. “It’s what you do against Manchester City and Arsenal🔜 and Liverpool and Chelsea and win titles. That’s what you base it on. That’s the standard that you’ve got to have. That’s what we had with the likes of (Roy Keane) Keaney and (Bryan) Robson and people like that.”
While Casemiro is better known as a midfield enforcer, he has sho🍸wcased his other attributes in ♈his short time at Old Trafford, including his impressive range of passing.
Against Reading, it was his clin🏅ical finishing that broke the visitor’sౠ resistance.
First came a delicate chip to lift the ball over goalkeeper Joe Lumley after racing onto Antony’s pass into the box. Then, in the 58th, he let fly from around 25 meters to double Unit🥀ed’s lead.
His mastery was evideܫnt when Reading forward Andy Carroll’s frustration꧒ boiled over and he was sent off for a second yellow card after a wild challenge on Casemiro in the 65th.
Another Brazilian, Fred, came off𒀰 the bench to add a third for United with a backheel a minute later.
Amadou Mbengue scored a consolation for Reading, but there was never any danger ꦗof a comeback.
“If we had played United a year ago I would have felt we had a right good chance of beating them,” Ince said. “I actually felt that because I felt Uniꦦted had lost their presence. I felt teams were coming to Old Trafford thinking they could get something. But I think under Ten Hag, in a short period of time, he has lifted the whole club.”
STRUGGLERS AVOID UPSETS
While they are 𓆉fighting for survival in the league, Leeds, Leicester and Southam🐓pton are advancing in the cup.
Securing t🅺op-flight status remains the priority for all three, but the c👍up is providing welcome relief from their battles against relegation.
Leeds won aga𒁃inst third-tier Accrington Stanley 3🐼-1, Leicester overcame fourth-tier Walsall 1-0, and bottom-of-the-league Southampton won against second-division Blackpool 2-1 on Saturday.
Goals from Leeds’ Jack Harrison, Junior Firpo and Luis Sinisterra ended any ch🅰ance of a miracle for Accrington in front of its home fans at Wham Stadium. Leslie Adekoya, howe🦹ver, gave them something to cheer with a late consolation goal.
It w⛄as only Leeds’ second win since Nov. 5, both of them 🧸coming in the FA Cup.
Leicester — cup winner in🅠 2021 — needed a late goal from Kelechi Iheana⛄cho to end Walsall’s resistance in a match that also saw Youri Tielemans miss a penalty.
Leicester’s only other win since Dec. 20 wasౠ in the previous rou𒐪nd of the cup.
Romain Perraud scored twice in Southampton’s win. Charlie Pat♓ino pulled one back for Blackpool.
SUNDERLAND TESTS FULHAM
Sunderland 15-ye💞ar-old substitute Christopher Rigg thought he scored a famous winner against 🌜the Premier League’s Fulham, only to see his effort ruled out for offside.
Rigg struck in time 🍃added on at Craven Cottage, but the sec🗹ond division team’s celebrations were soon cut short.
Sunderland took an early lead through Jack Clarke, and Tom Cairney equalized for Ful🤡ham to set up a replay.
There will also be replays for Sheffield Wednesday and Fleetwood (1-1), Ipswich and Burnley (0-0), Luton and Grimsby (2-2) and Blackburn🅠 and Birming🎃ham (2-2).
Second divღision Bristol City was through to fifth round after beating West Brom 3-♔0.
DANJUMA’S DREAM DEBUT
New To𓃲ttenham signing Arnaut Danjuma scored on his debut as Spurꦅs beat Preston 3-0.
Danjuma, who has joined on loan from Villarreal, struck late on 💃after going on as a substitute.
Heung-Min Son had alread𝐆y set Tottenham on course for the next round with two second-half goals.
