MANCHESTER, England — Casemiro scored twice as Manchester United booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win over Reading.
After a first half during which Reading, 14th in the Championship, frustrated Erik ten Hag’s team, the Brazilian midfielder scored twice in four minutes after the break. Fred came off the bench to score a third with a clever flick after Reading striker Andy Carroll had been sent off for picking up two yellow cards.
Amadou Mbengue’s score gave the travelling fans something to cheer with a consolation goal but it’s United who are into the draw with the next round.
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Rapid reaction
1. Casemiro is key for Ten Hag
Had the summer gone differently, Frenkie de Jong might have been wearing United’s No. 18 shirt against Reading and Casemiro could have still been at Real Madrid. Ten Hag, however, will be happy that it worked out the way it did.
The Brazilian midfielder turned the tie against Reading with two quick goals in the second half — the first with a clever finish from Antony‘s pass and the second with a shot whipped into the corner from outside the box.
Casemiro has only been at Old Trafford for a matter of months but there’s already an argument that he’s United’s most important player. No one else is the squad can do what he does and it has reached the point where he’s almost irreplaceable. Of the 21 games he has started since arriving from Madrid, United have lost only two, and it was glaringly obvious how big a miss he was during the 3-2 defeat at Arsenal.
A place in the top four and a trophy would be a monumental success for Ten Hag in his first season, but he needs Casemiro — above anyone else — to stay fit. After Fred scored the third goal against Reading, Casemiro was quickly substituted to save his legs.
