Casemiro received his third yellow card of the Europa League as Manchester United hosted Athletic Club in the semi-final of the competition.
Rúben Amorim’s Manchester United thrashed Athletic Club 4-1 at Old Trafford to book their place in the Europa League final with a 7-1 aggregate win.
Despite leading 3-0 from the first leg, United were second best early on and fell behind to a stunning strike from Mikel Jauregizar. Alejandro Garnacho missed a chance to level before the break, leaving United trailing on the night but still two ahead overall.
Amorim introduced Amad, Luke Shaw, and Mason Mount early in the second half, and Mount made an instant impact with a brilliant equaliser.
Casemiro then headed United in front before Rasmus Højlund added a third. Mount capped the night with a spectacular goal from halfway to seal the win and set up a final against Tottenham Hotspur.
Casemiro handed third Europa League yellow card
In the lead-up to the semi-final, Casemiro had accumulated two yellow cards over the course of Manchester United’s European campaign, with tournament regulations typically imposing a one-match suspension after three bookings.
His first caution came during United’s opening win in the competition, a home clash against PAOK at Old Trafford, where he was shown a yellow card for a late challenge in midfield. He then picked up a second in the following group stage fixture against Bodo/Glimt, further adding to his disciplinary tally.
Casemiro’s third booking arrived in the second leg of United’s semi-final tie against Athletic Club. After being outpaced by the lively Álvaro Djaló in the second half, he brought the forward down and was duly cautioned.
That booking made him the second United player to go into the referee’s book on the night, following an earlier yellow card shown to Noussair Mazraoui in the first half.
Casemiro will not be suspended for the final
Thankfully, Casemiro will not be suspended when United face Tottenham in the competition’s final later this month.
Read More: Player Ratings – Manchester United 4-1 Athletic Club (Europa League)
The fixture, due to kick off on Wednesday, 21 May, in Bilbao, Spain, will see United be just one win away from lifting the competition’s trophy and qualifying for the Champions League next season.
Although Casemiro has received three yellow cards in the competition this season, he will not be suspended as all cards were wiped prior to the semi-final’s commencement last week.
United have fixtures against West Ham and then Chelsea before they travel to Spain. The Chelsea fixture takes place on Friday evening rather than later in the week allowing United to have a further few days of rest.
With Casemiro a key member of Amorim’s current side, the head coach will look to limit his minutes ahead of the final.
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