4 key passes, 78% passing, 0 tackles: veteran star was Jekyll and Hyde for United in Leeds debacle

A shocking Manchester United performance was punished by Leeds United, who ran out 2-1 winners at Old Trafford. United’s old rivals could have put the game out of sight before half time as the Red Devils failed to find a foothold in the match. It went from bad to worse after the interval when Lisandro Martinez was shown a straight red card, but a goal from Casemiro kept things alive and a spirited United could have got something late on. Battling Brazilian The Brazilian got on the end of a Bruno Fernandes cross as he has done so many times before to score United’s only goal of the game. Only centre-forward Benjamin Sesko had more shots on target than Casemiro, who was typically dominant in the air, winning four of five aerial duels. He fared less well on the ground where he won only three of eight duels, recording one of the lowest success rates of anyone in red. That said, he drew four fouls, the most of anyone on the pitch. Classic Casemiro It was a classic performance of late-United-era Casemiro who scored the goal but also managed to lose possession 15 times – only the enterprising Fernandes lost it more. The Brazilian was one of three United players to make an error leading to a shot. He was also profligate with his passing, completing only 78% of his passes. Again, only the risk-taking Fernandes had a lower success rate, although Casemiro’s four key passes was bested only by his captain. Defensive duties The 34-year-old was brave in the face of a boisterous Leeds attack, mucking in as always to help out his floundering backline. Casemiro made three clearances and two interceptions. He didn’t make a single tackle and was dribbled past twice, matched only by Diogo Dalot. Casemiro vs. Leeds United PlayerCasemiro Goals1 Expected goals (xG)0.24 Assists0 Expected assists (xA)0.12 Key passes4 Crosses (accurate)3 (1) Accurate passes42/54 (78%) Passes in opposition half (acc.)20/29 (69%) Passes in own half (acc.)22/25 (88%) Long balls (accurate)3/4 (75%) Total shots2 Expected goals on target (xGOT)0.15 Shots on target2 Shots blocked0 Offsides1 Touches73 Dribbles (successful)1 (0) Was fouled4 Possession lost15 Total carrying distance75.2 m Carries13 Total progression43.1 m Def. contributions5 Tackles (won)0 (0) Interceptions2 Clearances3 Blocked shots0 Recoveries6 Ground duels (won)8 (3) Aerial duels (won)5 (4) Fouls2 Dribbled past2 Errors leading to shot1 On a dreadful night for United, their veteran midfielder showed why he is still crucial but also why it’s right for him to depart at the end of the season. Stats taken from sofascore. Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Joe Ponting Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried. He cut his teeth working in print media for local newspapers and entered football journalism covering the grassroots game for the Non-League Paper. Here he achieved a career high, interviewing United legend Sir Bobby Charlton to get his views on the lower echelons of the football pyramid. To kill time during international breaks Joe writes album reviews and has strong views on post punk for Plus One Magazine.