Real Madrid are a few games away from having another historical season.
Entering Tuesday, Los Merengues top LaLiga with only a few games left on the schedule. And if that wasn’t enough, they also have the lead in the UEFA Champions League’ tie against Atletico Madrid.
Summing up, they are a few wins away from winning two major trophies. Most of the credit should go to Zinedine Zidane, who’s doing a great job leading one of the most important teams in the world. It’s not easy to lead such a talented team. However, Zizou has excelled at it.
If everything goes according to plan, Real Madrid would win the third Champions League trophy in the last four years. They have all the makings of a dynasty, led by Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos, but they have other important players as well. Toni Kroos, Marcelo, Dani Carvajal, Luka Modrid, and Alvaro Morata have played key roles down the stretch.
Most of the attention goes to Cristiano Ronaldo, and that’s understandable. He’s the best player on the team, the top scorer, and the idol everyone wants to follow. However, he’s not the important player on the side. That honor goes to Casemiro, Real Madrid’s defensive midfielder that seems to make everyone around him play better.
Through 37 games this season across all competitions, Casemiro has five goals and four assists. And even though computerized systems are not 100% accurate, they seem to like him as well. The Brazilian is rated with a 7.76 rating in the UEFA Champions League according to WhoScored. That would make him the team’s second-best player, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
Scoring is not his main talent or his responsibility, but he can score some beautiful goals. Who can forget the one he netted against Napoli few months ago?
The 25-year-old’s impact goes well beyond the numbers, though. He’s the one in charge of organizing the middle of the field. And he’s also the one who dictates how high on the pitch Los Blancos play. If the team is losing, Casemiro moves past the halfway line, leaving Kroos and Modric as two attacking midfielders with little-to-no defensive responsabilities. But if Real is losing and needs to close the game out, it’s common to see Casemiro entrenched as a third center-back to form a five-men backline. That’s not an easy, yet he can do it with absolute ease.
Casemiro has been with Real Madrid since 2013, when he joined Real Madrid Castilla from Sao Paulo. However, he had to wait for his chance to crack into the first team. With no space upon his arrival, he was sent out on loan to FC Porto.
During his tenure with the Portuguese side, the Brazilian star grew into the dominant player he is now. Playing with the first team regularly did wonders for him, and Los Merengues decided to bring him back before the start of the 2015-16 season. And he’s been worth the wait, because he transformed the side. Attacking-minded sides need a defensive anchor in midfield, and Casemiro has done that. He’s been Real Madrid’s most consistent defensive midfielder since the days of Claude Makelele. And that’s not a short praise.
He’s a key cog for both Real Madrid and Brazil, and if he doesn’t suffer a serious injury, he’s a lock to represent his country in the upcoming 2018 Russia World Cup. There’s no question he has emerged as one of the most interesting defensive midfielders in Europe this season, and Real Madrid are lucky to have him.
He’s the perfect piece to link the defense and the attack. And even though he doesn’t get half of the attention he deserves, he’s been one of the most important players in Real Madrid this season.