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Casemiro and Matheus Cunha ended the international break in style with a 3-1 win over Croatia, with one Man Utd ace playing in a new role.
The international break has been a good one for Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, as they played in both games – a loss against France and this win against Croatia.
Carlo Ancelotti clearly trusts the Man Utd pair for his starting XI, and coming away from the break injury-free is a good omen for Man Utd as well.
Here’s how the duo fared in the win, including reaction from the Brazilian press to their performance.
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Photo by Alex Davidson – The FA/The FA via Getty Images How Casemiro and Matheus Cunha fared for Brazil
Casemiro and Cunha played 61 and 76 minutes respectively against Croatia, and both played a key role in the victory.
Casemiro was his usual best self, mopping up everything in sight, holding the midfield together, and keeping the play ticking.
His role for Brazil is more defensive than it is for Man Utd, but it’s the role he played to perfection at Real Madrid, so he slots easily back into it.
Cunha’s performance was more noticeable as he was played in a central midfield position after playing as a wide striker against France.
He played one beautiful long pass that led to a Brazil goal, and his work rate off the ball allowed Vinicius Jr to shine in a free roam role ahead of him.
The Brazilian press noted contributions from both players, praising Casemiro’s leadership and Cunha’s inventiveness in a new position.
Brazilian press on Cunha and Casemiro
Top Brazilian outlet Globo rated Cunha and Casemiro’s performances out of ten, and also added the fans’ ratings to their piece.
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Globo rated Casemiro 6/10, while the fans gave him 5.5/10, which is an upgrade on his rating against France, where he received 5/10 from both the fans and the outlet.
They wrote about Casemiro, “He ran a lot to close down spaces and recover balls – some of them in the attacking half, important for launching counter-attacks. He received a yellow card for a foul on Budimir at the edge of the penalty area.”
Cunha received more praise for taking on a new role in style, as Globo rated him 7/10, writing, “Important both with and without the ball. He worked hard to close down the left side of the defense, thus allowing Vini Jr. more freedom.
“In the 35th minute of the first half, he delivered a great pass to João Pedro, whose shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Then, in stoppage time, he initiated a counter-attack with a beautiful long pass, leading to the first goal.”
ESPN Brasil matched Globo’s rating, giving Casemiro 6/10, calling him “solid in midfield”. Cunha was rated 6.5/10 for his performance as a “mobile attacker”.
Both players will now return from Brazil duty straight into the intense training camp at Man Utd held in Ireland ahead of a return to PL action against Leeds on April 13th.
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