Ruud van Nistelrooy’s stellar tenure as temporary manager was extended Thursday night when Manchester United easily defeated PAOK Salonika 2-0 in the Europa League.

Despite only having 53% of the ball, Man United was at ease with it, showed proficiency in passing, and greatly enhanced their build-up play in comparison to earlier in the season under Erik ten Hag.

United has tightened up in the back and upped the amount of midfield pressure they put on the opposition, as seen by the fact that they had 16 shots overall while the visitors only had eight.

The main factor behind United’s midfield success was Casemiro.

Early in the first half, PAOK had a rare close-range chance on goal, but Casemiro bravely stopped it when goalie Andre Onana didn’t seem to be able to save it. It’s possible that the Brazilian’s move helped United win the game.

Casemiro not only blocked this shot but also made a tackle, cleared the ball, and intercepted it, completing a well-rounded defensive effort that gave his back four plenty of assistance.

Maybe we’ll have to wait for Amorim to figure out how to make the most of his former player, Ugarte. This Uruguayan midfielder isn’t performing to his full potential at Manchester United right now, especially after playing with Casemiro in the last two games.

In the last two games, Ugarte has scored the fewest points of any member of the Manchester United team. Ugarte only made 35 passes with the ball during the game last night while playing with Casemiro. 2/8 successful challenges, which is a fairly tiny number for a central midfielder.

One of Ugarte’s weaknesses is his softness and passing abilities. First of all, playing with Casemiro as he is today does not enhance one another; second, if we limit our analysis to the CDM reference system, Casemiro can easily outshine Ugarte.

Casemiro won six of his eight duels, demonstrating his continued physical prowess. He won both of his aerial combat that evening and finished first in four of his six ground battles.

The midfielder’s defensive performance was only marred by a minor lack of discipline. Casemiro received a yellow card for committing three fouls.

With 47 of his 58 passes hitting their target for an 81% passing accuracy, Casemiro’s passing game was likewise at or near its best.

Two of his three long balls and one of his two crosses found their mark.

The center-mid made two crucial passes, demonstrating his ability to create plays.

Casemiro’s shooting was one of his few weak points of play, as he only managed one dribble attempt that evening. Two of his three shots missed their mark, and one was blocked.

In the end, Casemiro gave a commendable effort. After a run of poor performances, he has recently found his consistency again, demonstrating once more why he is an important member of United’s midfield.