Need a last gasp headed goal to break your opponent’s hearts? Call Sergio Ramos maybe. The 30 year old Spaniard has saved his team innumerable times, either with his unbelievable defending or scoring late headers. Is Ramos the best defender in the world currently?
Ask an Atletico Madrid fan how they feel about Sergio Ramos and watch their face turn to horror, having scored against them in two Champions League finals, the centre-back has denied them the prestigious European trophy on two separate occasions(2014 and 2016).
In the El Classico against Barcelona, Ramos salvaged a point from which seemed a very unlikely draw for the Los Blancos. Barcelona took the lead when Luis Suarez nodded home from a Neymar free-kick and Luis Enrique’s Barcelona should have sealed the game but Neymar blazed a chance wide. The Catalonians were made to pay for missing a few more opportunities when the Real Madrid captain headed a 90th minute goal from Luka Modric’s free-kick. The game was dominated by Barcelona but a late Ramos header denied them the three points and the two bitter rivals shared the spoils.
A week later the Champions League holders faced a Deportivo side without their instrumental front three in attack; Benzama, Bale and Ronaldo all missed the league game. The champions of Europe were locked at 2-2 with their rivals, after Mariano scored to level the game.
Despite that Zidane’s men left it late again, as it was Ramos who headed a stoppage-time goal to ensure his heroics tilted the game in Madrid’s favor. The win also set a new club record as Real Madrid have now gone on a 35 match unbeaten streak.
It has become somewhat of a habit that the defender powers home header’s in crucial games for the La Liga giants. It is also strange and uncanny that as being a defender he affects his sides scoring, it is a dream for clubs to have a centre-back of such stature and authority.
His majestic leaps have come at regular intervals and can no longer be considered as good fortune or coincidence. In an interview after the game the Real Madrid boss stated “He [Ramos] is the soul of this team, he gives the others the desire to give everything they have on the pitch, just like Raul did,”
Zinedine Zidane comparing Sergio Ramos inspirational desire to Raul, who himself left behind a legacy of leadership. It doesn’t get any better than this. With a captain who has an ability to constantly deliver in crucial and big games is a delight to have for any club but to have hunger and passion to win every game the way Ramos does, cannot be taught.
The miracle man also believed that his team were poor in the last few outings and they needed to improve, much can be acquired by this as Ramos, despite his heroic’s still believes there is space for improvement.
