Casemiro giving Man Utd winning belief

Casemiro was a serial winner with Real Madrid and on Saturday he kept Manchester United’s trophy hunt going strong in the FA Cup.

The Brazil international struck twice in four second-half minutes as United won against second-division Reading 3-1 and progressed to the fifth round.

On Wednesday, Erik ten Hag’s improving team put a foot in the League Cup final by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the first leg of the semi-finals.

There is growing belief among United fans that a six-year wait for a trophy will come to an end this season, with the club also still in the Europa League where a much-anticipated clash with Barcelona is coming next month.

Casemiro won five Champions Leagues and three Spanish titles with Madrid but left last summer for a new challenge in England.

If Ten Hag is to lift silverware in his first season as manager, Casemiro will be pivotal to that success.

“He is really important with all his experience but he is such a smart player and intelligent,” Ten Hag said.

“He knows the positions, how to deal with the ball and also he is creative as well and we are really happy with him. He is important for the improvement of the team.

“When you see his profile, if you see performances over his last years for Real Madrid, he is magnificent.”

Ten Hag wanted to add Casemiro’s winning mentality to a team that had seen Manchester City and Liverpool dominate the Premier League in recent years.

His influence was evident against a Reading team that withstood United’s dominance until the 54th minute.

It was a performance that underlined how much Casemiro was missed when he was suspended for the 3-2 loss to Arsenal last week, which left United 11 points behind the league leaders.

With the midfielder in the starting lineup, United have lost only two of 21 games in all competitions, compared to four of 11 without him.

While Casemiro is better known as a midfield enforcer, he has showcased his other attributes in his short time at Old Trafford, including his impressive range of passing.

Against Reading, it was his clinical finishing that broke the visitor’s resistance.

First came a delicate chip to lift the ball over goalkeeper Joe Lumley after racing onto Antony’s pass into the box. Then, in the 58th, he let fly from around 25 metres to double United’s lead.

His mastery was evident when Reading forward Andy Carroll’s frustration boiled over and he was sent off for a second yellow card after a wild challenge on Casemiro in the 65th.

Another Brazilian, Fred, came off the bench to add a third for United with a backheel a minute later. Amadou Mbengue scored a consolation for Reading.