Aheed Abrar
Paul Scholes hails the impact of Casemiro on the pitch for Manchester United after Barcelona clash
Manchester United icon Paul Scholes has hailed the impact of Casemiro on the pitch after the Red Devils’ draw against Barcelona in the Europa League.
The Old Trafford side took on the Blaugrana in Spain on Thursday (16 February). We gave the La Liga giants a tough fight and managed to come away with our heads held high.
Speaking to BT Sport (h/t Manchester Evening News), Scholes, who spent almost 20 years at United, feels the Brazil international has changed the attitude of the Red Devils. The ex-midfielder is impressed by the 30-year-old’s leadership on the field.
“The biggest plus is Casemiro. As soon as Casemiro came into this team, the team [was] transformed.
“He’s almost like the manager on the football pitch – he’s like a coach, doing the manager’s job on there. Especially with young players coming into the team today.”
Casemiro signed for the Old Trafford side in the summer of 2022 from Real Madrid. He has turned into a key player for Erik ten Hag in Manchester in a short span of time.
The Brazilian knows all too well what Barcelona bring to the table. During his time in Spain, the defensive midfielder had some tough ties in the El Clasico. At Camp Nou, the 30-year-old showcased his skills against Xavi’s team in a United shirt.
Initially, the Spanish giants took the lead in the opening minutes of the second half. However, Marcus Rashford soon got us to level pegging before being instrumental in the Red Devils gaining an advantage through a Jules Kounde own goal.
Casemiro, who played the full 90 minutes, was the enforcer in the middle of the park for most of the match. However, he had a lapse of concentration for Barcelona’s equaliser.
The Blaugrana were going for the win in the final minutes of the fixture. Then, in the 76th minute, the former Madrid star gave the ball away to Raphinha, whose long-range effort found a way past a host of bodies and into the net.
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But we have still gotten a massive result at Camp Nou. Hopefully, Casemiro and co. will be able to get the job done when the La Liga outfit visit Old Trafford on 23 February in the second leg of the play-off tie.
