The versatile defender put in a great shift in midfield against Atletico Madrid and may need to replicate that performance again if Madrid are to be successful.Although Javier Hernandez hogged all the limelight after Real Madrid dumped Atletico out of the Champions League last week, you cannot deny the fact that the foundation for that gruelling victory was laid by Sergio Ramos’ imperious display on the night.
The 29-year old Spaniard was omnipresent on the pitch, darting from the heart of Madrid's defence to the front line whilst astutely performing his midfield duties on the right alongside Toni Kroos.
The Madrid centre-back made the maximum number of passes on the pitch, was fouled more than any other player and hence committed more fouls than anybody else. He acted as a lynchpin between Madrid’s defence and attack, knitting passes together, outmuscling Atletico’s midfielders and making constant darting runs up and down the pitch.
In the process of spurring his team into the semi-final stage of Europe’s elite club competition, Ramos solidified his status of an outstanding footballer and a true leader of men.
Here is an interesting statistic which pretty much sums up the kind of offensive contributions Ramos has made in his time at the Santiago Bernabeu – the Real Madrid man is the highest scoring defender in the top five leagues in the past decade.
With 2.74 clearances, 4.78 tackles and 0.91 blocks per game, the Spaniard has set a benchmark for the modern day defender. He possesses the perfect blend of offensive and defensive skills which a manager would ideally look for in a centre-back. Ramos possesses a broad spectrum of skills which makes him a precious commodity in modern day football.The versatility which the former Sevilla man has exuded throughout his career is remarkable and rare. Initially starting out as a striker in his youth, Ramos began his Real Madrid career as a right-back and is capable of filling in at the left-back spot too.
Moreover, what adds to the Spaniard’s pedigree is his character. He horribly miscued his penalty kick against Bayern Munich in the 2010 Champions League semi-final, sending it into ‘outer space’, as the taunts he faced suggested.
However, he bounced back in resounding fashion by taking a spot-kick for Spain in the European Championship final a couple of months later. Not only did Ramos score but he dinked his penalty Panenka style over the goalkeeper’s dive.
He is Madrid’s all-action star who has the ability to turn a game on its head – take for instance his dramatic late header against Atletico in the Champions League final last season to take the tie into extra-time.
There have been debates about Ramos’ status as a legend at the Bernabeu, with a majority of the critics singling out his sceptical disciplinary record and ‘balletic movements’ after being fouled (like the Arda Turan incident in the recent Madrid derby).
However, there is no doubt that he wears his heart on his sleeve and his passion resonates with every Madridista, making him a crowd favourite and a member who is hugely respected among the Bernabeu faithful.
Ramos was the first player to be embraced by Ancelotti after Real’s triumph over Atletico and that in itself symbolizes his importance in that star-studded yet defensively insecure Madrid squad. With Modric being ruled out until the end of the season, you can expect Ramos to play a humongous part in Madrid’s attempt to win a record 11th Champions League title and usurp Barcelona in the La Liga.
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