Casemiro: Real Madrid's life-jacket

In Balaídos, Casemiro did Zidane a big favour: he accepted playing in a back three, assuming a tremendous responsibility. It was a compromised positional shift in a match of maximum risk. Casemiro did as well as he could: attentive, powerful, brave ... but he is not a centre-back. He exceeded expectation, as he always does, and as he has been doing during the good times of this team as well as the less brilliant. Casemiro is a guarantee, a life-jacket at hand when the boat begins to rock.

An authentic worker of luxury

On Sunday Madrid face La Real, a pressurising team that keeps great possession and plays high up the field, led by Xabi Prieto. Casemiro will be there again to confront the danger. He’s the trusted man of his teammates, Kroos, Ramos and Varane, and the Madrid player who makes the most tackles (90 in the league, 11 per game): an authentic worker of luxury.

Madrid's guaranteed warrior 

Zidane needs to see a return of the good side of Madrid and for this task: precise players of stable performance committed to the cause Casemiro style. He’s done everything, so far, without rebuking or objecting to his role or status. La Real will demand as much sacrifice from Los Blancos as Celta , but Zizou knows that at the centre of the volcano he has a guaranteed warrior: Casemiro.