FIFA Club World Cup Final, Real Madrid 4-1 Al Ain: 4 Talking Points from the match

#2 Casemiro has lost his spot and it's not his fault

Marcos Llorente has been phenomenal since replacing Casemiro at the base of Real's midfield.

Marcos Llorente is a guy I've been rooting for since his Alaves days. As a Real fan, he's the type of player you'd love to succeed at Los Blancos.

His entire family has represented Real Madrid, and he's the nephew of Blancos legend Paco Gento. He's been part of the academy all his life, and at the ripe age of 23, he's finally starting to establish himself as a regular for his club.

He started his eighth consecutive game for Madrid and rounded off a wonderful performance in the final with a rasping half-volley from the edge of the area, displaying a less revered side of his game, his knack for being at the right place at the right time.

Before Solari's arrival, there were talks of him moving out on a preliminary loan to Alaves, who'd then have the chance to buy him for a paltry sum.

Since the former Castilla coach's arrival, his Madrid career has gotten a new lease of life (Casemrio's injury certainly helped too) and he is now an indispensable part of the Madrid squad.

Casemiro has been pivotal for Real in the past few glory-laden years, being a crucial cog at the base of one of the World's best midfield.

But his injury was taken full advantage of by a youngster waiting in the wings, and the Brazilian surely isn't a shoe-in to start every time he's fit now, as Llorente has proven himself more than capable of doing a similar(some may say even better) job than the Brazilian enforcer.