Not only can you rely on Sergio Ramos to win tackle after tackle, but the Real Madrid man is also good for more than his fair share of goals… and red cards.
The Spaniard has a habit of popping up with crucial goals when Real need them, and that’s why he’s the highest-scoring defender in La Liga history. He bags plenty of routine headers, but loves mixing it up every once in a while.
Let’s take a look at his best goals for Real Madrid.
Real were already 5-1 up against Real Betis in first-half injury time in February 2009, and Ramos made it six with a picture-perfect diving header.
The best part of this goal was the celebration, as Ramos pulled out a cartwheel and a surprisingly impressive backflip to seal an outstanding victory.
Real picked up a 3-0 win over Sevilla in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 tie in 2016/17, but were made to work hard to protect that lead in the return fixture.
Sevilla held a 3-1 lead heading into the dying embers of the fixture, when Real were awarded a penalty. Most would have felt the pressure of the situation, but not Ramos, who chipped the ball right down the middle and taunted his critics in the stands.
Back when Ramos was a right-back, he loved bombing forward and getting in on the goalscoring action.
Against Valencia in 2007, he did exactly that, firing home a powerful effort from a tight angle which flew into the back of the net after a satisfying thud against the inside of the post.
A long-haired Ramos spent most of March 2007’s 3-3 draw with Barcelona getting tormented by Lionel Messi, but he nearly gave his side the win with an impressive diving header.
Guti’s free kick was whipped into the box, and Ramos somehow connected with a backwards diving header which flew into the back of the net, and he celebrated by flapping his arms like a bird and falling over. Nice.
Ramos has a real penchant for the spectacular, and that was on show in September 2017’s meeting with APOEL Nicosia.
Cristiano Ronaldo has already netted twice (as per), but Ramos added a third with a nice overhead kick which wrong-footed the goalkeeper and trickled into the back of the net.
Ramos spends so much time heading home from corners that it’s easy to forget just how gifted he is with the ball at his feet.
He stepped up to curl home a stunning free kick against Real Valladolid in 2014, although he owed this goal to some suspect goalkeeping from Jaime Jiménez.
? #OTD in 2014, ‘La Décima’ in Lisbon…
?? Ramos, Bale, Marcelo & Ronaldo#UCL | @realmadriden pic.twitter.com/SMiTEnYjk0
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 24, 2020
Rivals Atlético Madrid came within seconds of pipping Real to the Champions League title. Guess who was there to save the day?
In the 93rd minute, Ramos popped up with a heroic header which tied the game up at 1-1, and Real went on to add another three in extra time, leading Los Blancos to their tenth Champions League trophy.
We’ve already had a bit of a scuffed bicycle kick, but his acrobatic effort against Sevilla in November 2015 was far sweeter.
From towards the edge of the box, Ramos sent the ball flying inside the post and giving his former employers no chance. He hurt his arm in the process, and it wasn’t even worth it as Real lost 3-2 anyway. Good goal though.
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