Manchester United failed to beat a weak Manchester City side at Old Trafford today.
The match was probably the most boring Manchester derby in recent history. Both the teams struggled to break down each other and lacked quality in the final third.
It also showed that both the Manchester clubs need new additions to their squad in the summer transfer window.
While Bruno Fernandes was officially named the man of the match at Old Trafford, it was another Man United star who performed brilliantly against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Casemiro rolled back the years with his fine performance in the derby, showcasing his ability to guard the defense and deal with the threat that the City midfielders offered.
The game suited Casemiro more as it was a slow paced game with Man City lacking athleticim and firepower in their midfield and attack.
Casemiro made 11 tackles in the match, by far the most of any players between both the sides.
He was the second highest rated Man United player today by Sofascore, only behind Fernandes.
However, we feel that what he did today was much more important than what Fernandes did.
Casemiro acted as the shield in the middle for Man United
Since the match ended as a draw, Casemiro’s contribution made more of a difference. If United had won with Fernandes involved in the goal in some way, there would have been no debate about the best player on the pitch today.
Sitting in the double pivot with Manuel Ugarte today, Casemiro showed that he can still perform at the top level.
It cannot be ignored that the lack of dominance in the City midfield helped his case but he still deserves praise for his contribution at Old Trafford today.
If he can play the same way between now and the end of the season, United can finish in the top 10 in the league and may also be one of the favourites to clinch the Europa League title.
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