£60m star joined Manchester United with clear goal, he’s finally set to experience it

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Casemiro is finally set for his first Champions League game at Old Trafford with Manchester United.

Casemiro‘s move to sign for Manchester United in 2022 raised a few eyebrows last summer, when he quit then-reigning Champions League winners Real Madrid in a £60 million move.

Asked if he was worried about missing out on Champions League football last season, Casemiro responded, via The Mirror: “Well, I already have five [titles], don’t I?”

Elaborating, via ESPN, Casemiro made clear he saw missing out on the Champions League as a temporary step back, commenting: “I’m going to the biggest club in England. It’s true we won’t play in the Champions League this year, but Manchester United can compete with the greatness of Real Madrid, albeit not right now.”

Now after a third-placed Premier League finish last season, and a trophy too, Casemiro and Manchester United are in the Champions League this season.

Casemiro is now set for big Old Trafford night

Now, Casemiro is just hours away from starting in Manchester United’s first home Champions League game of the season.

His return to the big stage was eventful, ending in a 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich, in which he scored two goals.

United would settle for a similar goalscoring contribution from him against Galatasaray, that would surely earn all three points.

The Brazilian has had a mixed time this season, and United need him at his best under the lights in the Champions League at the Theatre of Dreams. This was the moment Casemiro dreamed of when he signed for Manchester United, the match he hoped he would earn the right to play in.

He may have to make the most of it. The way United are going, it will be a real struggle to finish inside the top four in the Premier League this season. The team are already seven points off the top four.

A strong run in the Champions League can take some of the attention off domestic struggles, teammate Raphael Varane told his press conference he believes Manchester United are good enough to win it.

Casemiro will likely have the same belief, but with one loss already in the group stages, it is crucial to bounce back with a victory over Turkish champions Galatasaray.

Manchester United’s recent Champions League home record

The last time Manchester United were in the Champions League was the 2021/22 season, which was not smooth sailing at all.

Home games included a 2-1 win over Villarreal and a 3-2 victory over Atalanta. Both games were ‘come from behind’ victories which relied upon late winners from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Then came a 1-1 draw against Young Boys, from a rotated team, before a 1-0 home defeat against Atletico Madrid in the knockout stages.

It was not at all convincing, however, the last time United played a Turkish side at home was in 2020, Istanbul Basaksehir, a 4-1 win, in which current Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk was in charge of the visiting team.