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Casemiro was far from his best as Manchester United slumped to a crushing 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.
While there were numerous periods in which Man United dominated the midfield battle, it was the visitors who appeared more likely to score from the first whistle.
After Liverpool scored just minutes into the encounter, United were handed a lifeline when a goal by Trent Alexander-Arnold was ruled offside.
Unfortunately, it did not take long for Liverpool to hit back once again, with Luis Diaz heading the ball into the back of the net in the 35th minute. Casemiro all but enabled the goal when he attempted to play the ball out from the back, handing the ball back to Liverpool. Mohamed Salah then sent a through ball to Diaz, who headed the ball past Andre Onana.
Although the match was far from over at this point, a crucial mistake from Casemiro seven minutes later all but sealed United’s fate. While the Brazilian claimed to be fouled after collapsing to the ground, the loose ball that resulted from the collision eventually fell to Salah, who yet again set up Diaz for a goal that almost replicated the opener.
Ultimately, Casemiro lost possession 13 times, including the two occasions when his mistake resulted in a goal for the opposition.
27 of his 37 passes found their mark, resulting in 73% passing accuracy, while he only completed one of five long balls. He did not attempt any crosses.
Casemiro was completely absent on the attack, taking no shots, although he did complete his only dribble of the match.
While the midfielder won his sole aerial duel, he was far less effective in ground battles, winning only two of his five duels with his feet.
Tracking back in defence, Casemiro was just as ineffective, making one clearance and a single tackle with no interceptions.
Given his poor performance, it made clear sense that he was replaced by Toby Collyer at half-time, with Erik ten Hag clearly unwilling to risk him making more costly mistakes.
This performance was another harsh reminder that Casemiro’s best days may be behind him. While he has shown signs of returning to form, his errors have continued to pile up, suggesting that he may no longer be of use at a club the size of United.
(Stats via Sofascore)
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2024-09-01 17:26:42
