Casemiro

Casemiro on otherworldly volley: 'I wanted to smash it' for Real Madrid fans

Published Feb. 15, 2017 8:10 p.m. ET

Alex Dowd

Casemiro is best known for his defensive exploits with Real Madrid, but he showed off his shooting boots on Wednesday. His rocket-propelled volley to ice Madrid's 3-1 win against Napoli is evidence of that.

Take a gander at the sheer power:

Now that's how you earn yourself Man of the Match honors in the first leg of a Champions League tie. In his post-match interview, the 24-year-old midfielder revealed he wanted to uncork a missile when the opportunity presented itself.

"I'm lost for words," he said. "When I struck the ball I wanted to smash it, for the game, for the fans, for the Bernabeu. I love to play here, I can't say any more than that."

Safe to say mission accomplished, Casemiro. Once the Brazilian drove his boot through the ball there was little doubt about it. Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina could only watch helplessly as the ball rifled past him and into the corner of the net.

Casemiro is clearly passionate about playing for the Merengues and doesn't take it lightly. To make it all the more incredible, the midfielder says he's "been practicing those kinds of shots a lot," via Marca. Apparently, practice is the secret to hitting the ball that sweetly. Who knew?

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