Real Madrid: Grading the midfielders from the 2020-2021 season

DM Casemiro

We shift one spot over to the right in the formation and rest upon Casemiro, who followed up his workhorse 2019-2020 season with another world-class campaign in 2020-2021. Though Case started the season slow, which brought about questions of fatigue, he ended the season as one of Real Madrid’s most important players.

The experienced Brazilian produced some more top-notch defensive numbers. He averaged 2.5 tackles per game and 2.1 interceptions per game in LaLiga, which is astonishing. Casemiro never stopped breaking up play, and he is so good at tracking attackers and making sure they don’t get a chance to make a play. Some of the goal-saving tackles Casemiro makes are worthy of highlight reels, if such existed in the mainstream for No. 6’s.

Although Case can sometimes frustrate Madridistas with passes into no man’s land, ill-advised shot attempts, and giveaways that lead to counterattacks, he more than makes up for it with his defending. And he did prove to be a clutch source of goals offensively, particularly with his head on set pieces. Casemiro’s seven goals tied him for second on the team with up and down right winger Marco Asensio.

We can’t say Case’s 2020-2021 season was flawless, but we can say that he was one of the elite defensive midfielders once more and helpful to a generally anemic attack.

Rating: 8.0