Sergio Ramos bares striker's soul to leave Barcelona on ropes in title race | Sid Lowe

Dec 05, 2016

The ruthless centre-back stepped up again when it mattered most to score his 62nd Real Madrid goal and earn a draw that felt like a victory in el clásico

It was time, Ramos time. In fact, if anything, he was a little early. The clock had reached 89 minutes in the first clásico of the season and Barcelona were winning 1-0, Madrid’s lead at the top reduced to three points, game on again, and Luka Modric was standing by the ball out on the left where Arda Turan had gifted them one last chance, the kind of moment this man is made for. Thirty yards away, Sergio Ramos nodded “over here” at him, eyebrows, eyes and head gesturing surreptitiously. At least he hoped it was surreptitious. As he took up his position – offside for now, ready to step back on – Gerard Piqué watched him and tracked him, or tried to; in Piqué’s way was Lucas Vázquez, pushing, diverting, annoying.

High on the other side, in the box hung from the roof, someone said: “They’ll score here.” “Yeah, Ramos,” came the reply. Ramos later said: “I told Luka: ‘you put in a good one and I’ll put it away’,” which was pretty much what happened. “He told me where to put it, I put it there, he scored. Easy, huh?” Modric laughed. The clock said 89.46 when he put in a good one – “for a change,” according to Ramos and 89.48 when Madrid’s captain put it away, heading past Marc-André ter Stegen. Arms out, he raced them all to the corner where players piled on in white, Keylor Navas close behind in yellow. Dani Carvajal flipped the finger at the fans in front – sorry, he later said – and fists were raised to the 800 supporters way above, going wild behind that grubby glass screen.

¡HASTA EL FINAL! Siempre hasta el final.
Until the final whistle. Always until the final whistle.
#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/MWI5QNaq6N

Tags: Barcelona European club football Football La Liga Real Madrid Sport