Casemiro, the hero of a hard-fought victory over Sevilla on Saturday, spoke after the match about how, although he stole the headlines, it was his teammates that deserve just as much praise.
"We didn’t win the game only because of my goals, it was a good team effort," Casemiro said. "We were up against a very good team who play some nice football and have a top coach. It was a very hard-fought match".
"We know how well Sevilla can play and that they are fighting towards the top of the table. It was a very physical affair and they are 3 huge points. It was a typical Madrid-Sevilla game. They are a good side and you have to have respect and be able to dig in when needs be. We want to have the ball, we’ve shown we’re in fantastic shape and we’ve taken three very important points".
Casemiro made it a point to highlight his two assisters, Luka Jovic and Lucas Vazquez, in particular: " Jovic’s pass deserves the accolades, it was a Hollywood pass, that’s why I ran over to celebrate with him. And for the second, Lucas Vázquez put in a fantastic cross and made it easy for me. I was able to net against Sevilla last year too, but it’s all about the teamwork".
Casemiro was also asked about VAR.
"I didn’t see the block, but the VAR system is there to help the game,” Casemiro said. “The referee is also there to help and anything that helps is important. If it’s there to help, we agree with it and that goes for the fans too".
Lucas Vazquez also was asked about the assist. "Casemiro finishes it off excellently and made the cross into a pretty good one. The assist is all down to the way he earns that space. It’s a team game, which is the most important thing. This 17-game unbeaten run is a really good stat, we hope to extend it because it shows just what a good group we are and that we all attack well as a unit".
"We knew it’d be a really tough game. Sevilla are a great side and weren’t going to make things easy for us. We struggled to get going in the first half and get a foothold, but after the break, we pressed really well up top and fashioned some chances. Moving the ball around quickly from flank to flank and getting in behind them was key, that freed up more space and allowed us to create more chances"
Finaly Rodrygo was asked about the game. " Zidane asked that, above all, we be focused and faithful to our playing style, because we knew we’d get space, we had to capitalise on that and it worked out well. We’re really happy to have won at the Bernabéu, in front of our fans".
"The gaffer also asks us to keep our focus throughout the whole game and not just during the opening 15 minutes. We’re focused at all times and that’s why we’re enjoying such good form. We give our all for the shirt and if we keep it up we’re capable of going on and extending this run for many more games to come".