We can give Carlos Henrique Casemiro a very high grade at the end of the season 2016/17. If Real Madrid won the double, the Brazilian midfielder can take a lot of credit. Since his return after a season at Porto, he has proved himself to be a key player in the line-up. Zidane didn’t count on him when he sat on the bench, but he rectified very quickly and Casemiro is now one of the stars of the team.
Defensively, Casemiro gives a lot of balance to the team. He had no replacement in the squad, so he had to play a lot of games in a very demanding season. Luckily, he was fit the whole season, without important injuries, so he could take part in the most important games of the season. Only Mateo Kovacic could replace him, although the Croatian midfielder has another skills.
Apart from the defensive skills, we have to highlight two superb goals scored by Carlos Henrique Casemiro. The first one in the first leg of the Champions League Last 16 round against Napoli, when he smashed a volley to score the third goal. Then, obviously his most important goal in his career. The second net in the Champions League final against Juventus with a superb shot from outside the box.
Casemiro played 25 games in La Liga scoring four goals, including one in El Clasico, perhaps his most difficult game because he was overwhelmed by Messi’s performance. Also he suffered a lot against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, risking the second yellow card during the game.
Overall, we can say Casemiro is becoming one of the best stoppers in the recent Real Madrid history. Besides, he’s only 25, so he can still improve a lot. It’s very important to highlight that he wasn’t sent off in the season, even if many people criticize his aggressiveness.
