World Sports praised Casado: He showed excellent sweeping ability and was also very stable when holding the ball.

In the 11th round of La Liga, Barcelona defeated Elche with a score of 3-1. In this game, Casado and Frenkie de Jong were the midfield partners of the Red and Blues, and the former also delivered an answer that satisfied head coach Flick. Mundo Deportivo talks about Casado’s role.

In the first game without Pedri, Flick chose Casado and Frenkie de Jong as a midfield partner. De Jong performed well in the game, taking on more responsibilities and breaking down Elche's high-pressure defense with ball control and long passes. Casado, on the other hand, fulfilled his role well and became a reliable partner.

This is the third time this season that Casado has played the full 90 minutes. Casado stepped up to the plate in a game that required experience and consistency, while Barcelona needed a win to restore confidence. While the De Jong-Casado combination looks solid, the two haven't worked together much this season. Before facing Elche, they had only played together in five games, against Newcastle United, Real Sociedad, Paris Saint-Germain, Girona and Olympiakos. In two of those five games, Casado came on at the last minute. Only against Real Sociedad did De Jong start as an attacking midfielder.

Flick gave De Jong a major role in possession, and he accepted the positioning. De Jong successfully neutralized Eder Sarabia's high-pressure tactics, showed excellent sweeping ability on the defensive end, corrected positioning errors of the forwards and midfielders, and actively filled in when needed. He's very solid with the ball. He knew this was a good opportunity for De Jong to express himself, so he gave him enough space.

Casado committed a team-high 6 fouls against Elche but did not receive a yellow card, which shows his experience and skills. He has a very good sense of position on the court, constantly looking over his shoulder to observe and direct his teammates. Casado had been substituted at half-time in each of the previous two games as Barca trailed in both games. In the game against Elche, the Red and Blues adopted more proactive tactics, and Casado also seemed more comfortable.

Last season was a year for forwards to shine, but due to the injury problems of forwards at the beginning of this season, Pedri became the core of Barcelona. In the absence of Pedri, Barcelona relied on De Jong to organize the offense and relied on Casado to stabilize the defense, finally restoring its offensive power.