24 April 2023 , 08:53
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Casemiro's apparent dancing in Manchester United's shootout win has split opinion among the club's fans.
The Red Devils secured their spot in the FA Cup final, where they will meet Manchester City, after seeing off Brighton on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes at Wembley. United scored all seven of their spot kicks with Solly March the man to miss for the Seagulls.
Casemiro was among those to score for Erik ten Hag's side, before Victor Lindelof had the headline moment in sudden death. The Brazilian's behaviour in between penalties however saw fans come up with theories as to why the midfielder was so animated and chilled when all around him were tense.
One suggested he was urging his goalkeeper to be more dramatic: "He was telling De Gea to move his body not been glued to his spot". Another felt Casemiro was trying to calm the atmosphere among his peers: "Taking pressure off players to reinstall their confidence. He's a leader."
United's record with Casemiro in the side has underlined his importance since joining from Real Madrid in the summer. He scored in their Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle at Wembley with the squad now having the chance to claim a second trophy of the season.
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De Gea was unable to save any penalties during the shootout, but certainly played his part in the seconds before March blazed over the bar. The Spaniard greeted him at the penalty spot, which he appeared to scuff up as engaged in some of the game's dark arts.
United's No 1 said after the win: "It was a very tight game we played a very good team. Brighton play really good football. We are now in the final but we have another big game on Thursday so we need to go home and recover. They were great penalties. I was prepared as always. I tried to put pressure on the takers.
"There's still a long way to the final but it will be a big game against one of the best teams in Europe and the world. We showed at home we can beat them [Man City] so let's hope. We are on the right track. One trophy, another final and fighting for the top four. It's not enough but it's a big step from last season."
Ten Hag said on their preparation: “Of course, we practice penalties. We’ve been doing it all season. We have taken penalties in the Premier League. And when we have them, we score them. It's part of professional football. It’s a part of especially English football with so many cups and the cups are important to us – we want to win every game."