The return of Casemiro: the player for whom there is no substitute

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"The League is the most difficult.

We are the largest and that is why we have 35 ».

As soon as he beat Espanyol to seal the title and, like so many times, with

and

looking for him to celebrate with his older brother,

exercised what he is, what he has become in the almost ten years since who arrived at the club through the service door: a madridista.

On the field there are soccer players, few, more important;

in the locker room, none.

It is impossible to ignore the role that the midfielder has played in the explosion of three other fundamental Brazilians in the success, unexpected for some, of

's team this season: he has acted as a mentor to

, Rodrygo and

since they landed, allowing them to He may come to think that they are as important or more important in the functioning of Madrid than himself.

But each absence of Casemiro strikes down that thesis.

His return, as a central defender, against Espanyol was a blessing, not so much because of what happened last Saturday, but because of the battle to be waged on Wednesday against City.

Because replacing Casemiro is always the most difficult hieroglyph that

faces .

Actually, he hasn't figured it out yet.

Although

and

grab far more headlines and praise, their absences have been less noticeable than Case's.

In the three games that have been lost this season against Champions League teams (in Manchester, the second leg against PSG and at Sánchez-Pizjuán), Madrid have been overwhelmed by rivals in many phases.

It was especially evident in the first leg against

Benzema

's genius

and Vinicius allowed to hide the defensive mess and control of the game by Madrid.

He came out very alive, yes, but he conceded four goals.

Kroos is diluted playing five, making the team much more vulnerable in defense and worsening the ball output by separating the German from that left zone where, usually, the entire White offensive is born.

has the potential to end up being the Brazilian's mid-term substitute, but today he still gets too messy and his ability to see cards, and seeing them very soon, conditions the team, as was seen very clearly against Sevilla.

Statistics

Casemiro, for now, there is only one and fortunately for Ancelotti he will return to the axis against City.

It is difficult to imagine

,

or

attacking in the open field, in waves and with hardly any opposition, as seen at the Etihad.

In all defensive statistics, the Brazilian is by far Madrid's most decisive midfielder.

Yes, he is the one who makes the most fouls of the entire team (1.8 per game), but also the one who makes the most successful tackles (2.6 on average) and the second who steals the most balls (1.2) only behind of a center like Militao.

His presence is worth triple because he brings his own and the release of Kroos and Modric.

Guardiola, who mercilessly exploited his absence in the first leg, driving Kroos crazy by constantly attacking his back with five players, knows that he will have to change the plan tomorrow.

And, meanwhile, Casemiro will continue without giving importance to the outside and being decisive inside.

They say in the club that he has naturally assumed the baton of

as leader, that he has expanded his status as the older brother of the Brazilian clan to any young man who enters the locker room new and that he has been able to impose, together with

, a relaxed and demanding environment in equal parts that has made this season a success that can be even better.

"We don't need reinforcements for Casemiro's position, we already have his replacement in the squad," Ancelotti said last week.

And, in a way, it's true: the only replacement for Casemiro is Casemiro.

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