Manchester United took a huge step towards the Europa League final after making light work of Athletic Bilbao in Thursday’s semi-final first leg.
Casemiro opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, nodding home after the ball was flicked on by Manuel Ugarte from a superb Harry Maguire cross.
Bruno Fernandes then converted a penalty in the 37th minute before adding a third for Manchester United just before the break.
The rest of the game – and potentially the tie – was pretty much over as a contest as the Red Devils contained Athletic in the second half.
It was a masterclass against an Athletic side that previously boasted the tightest defence in Europe and had not lost at the San Mames since August.
Casemiro delivered an especially impressive performance in the 3-0 win, which prompted Rio Ferdinand to sing his praises in an 11-word verdict split over two X posts.
Rio Ferdinand praises Manchester United star Casemiro amid criticism from those who ‘said he was done’
Casemiro had has his fair share of criticism at Man United, but he has embarked on a redemption arc that culminated in a superb display against Bilbao.
Ferdinand took to X after the game to share a picture of himself with Casemiro and wrote: “This guy tonight… Casemiro appreciation tweet”.
He then posted a follow-up which noted how “people said he was done” – which clearly is not the case.
How Casemiro fared against Athletic Bilbao
For so long, Casemiro was being written off as a Man United player, with pundits criticising him and a near-constant wave of speculation over his future.
However, Ruben Amorim has figured out how to best play to Casemiro’s strengths and has adapted his role so he doesn’t have to cover huge amounts of ground.
Now, Casemiro is a player reborn, and his display against Athletic saw him clock up some amazing stats.
| Casemiro stats v Athletic Bilbao | |
| Minutes played | 90′ |
| Goals | 1 |
| Accurate passes | 74/87 (85%) |
| Long balls (accurate) | 9 (5) |
| Shots on target | 2 |
| Shots off target | 1 |
| Dribble attempts (successful) | 1 (1) |
| Hit woodwork | 1 |
| Ground duels (won) | 7 (5) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 5 (5) |
| Clearances | 5 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Total tackles | 4 |
Alongside his goal, Casemiro registered a further shot on target, plus one off target, won 10 duels, and weighed in with five clearances, four tackles and one interception.
He also attempted one dribble, which he completed, and also successfully delivered five long balls out of the nine he attempted.
