Real Madrid: 5 takeaways from a lethargic 0-0 draw vs. Villarreal

Casemiro takes a tumble

Real Madrid won 2-1 against Valencia last week thanks to a furious late comeback in which Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema both scored AND assisted. Therefore, Casemiro’s horrific performance did not receive as many headlines.

But after yet another woeful display – and in a draw, no less – Madridistas are starting to ask serious questions of Casemiro. He may have actually been marginally better this weekend as compared to last weekend, but he was still below average. Casemiro had sloppy giveaways, contributed nothing to the build-up, took another infuriatingly lousy shot, and did not offer enough defensively to make up for his lack of attacking influence.

Combine these two performances against Valencia and Villarreal, and you have a defensive midfielder who is hurting his cause. For years, Casemiro has seen his name written in permanent marker in the starting XI. I don’t think that has changed just yet, but if Casemiro keeps playing this poorly, then Carlo Ancelotti may have no choice but to start considering some other options in midfield. And with a few playmakers and the new signing Eduardo Camavinga, he will have those options once Toni Kroos returns from injury. David Alaba can play in midfield, too, as unlikely as that scenario may be.

I would not proclaim the sky is falling for Casemiro or anything, but we must admit that, for the first time, the Brazilian star is in a situation where he has to prove his spot. As many fans have noted, sustained rest -as in, more than just one match every six months or so – could help the veteran midfielder stay on top.