Sergio Ramos’ marks Real Madrid reunion with fiery Rudiger clash
Robin Bairner
- 21 Oct 2023 20:07 BST
- 3 min read
Sergio Ramos enjoyed an eventful reunion with Real Madrid on Saturday as his Sevilla side secured a 1-1 draw against Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
After a David Alaba own goal had opened the scoring for the hosts 74 minutes in the LaLiga encounter, Dani Carvajal struck back for Los Blancos, but in a heated affair, it was Ramos who inevitably came to the fore.
Shortly before half-time, he squared up against Real Madrid centre-back Antonio Rudiger, and with the former Germany international screaming in his face, he squeezed the cheeks of the former Chelsea man before walking away from the melee that followed.
It was the standout moment for the 37-year-old in a match in which he led Sevilla in a string of key defensive metrics, underlining his strong performance.
Indeed, he came out on top for his club in terms of clearances, possession gained and blocks. He was the only Sevilla player who started the game to win the ball back more than he lost it.
☠️You do not mess with Sergio Ramospic.twitter.com/nDv4JsG3HH
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) October 21, 2023
Furthermore, he won 71.4% of his duels – a team-high figure – and all three of his aerial battles with Real Madrid players.
And with the ball he was no slouch either, completing more passes than anyone else on his side.
He even found time to fire a couple of errors on goal, one of which tested visiting goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
But it was his moment squaring up to Rudiger that really caught the eye, with Real Madrid fans lamenting that this was the type of fiery defending that they once enjoyed from the Spain international star.
Ramos' Real Madrid masterclass in numbers
| Minutes | 90 |
| Clearances | 5 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Possession gained | 7 |
| Blocks | 3 |
| Duels won | 71.4% |
| Aerial duels won | 100% |
| Passes completed | 61 |
| Shots | 2 |
| Shots on target | 1 |
Ramos adds to record yellow card tally
After signing from Sevilla, he played a total of 671 matches for Real Madrid over a spell that stretched from 2005 until 2021, and during that time he returned a remarkable 101 goals, including 13 alone during the 2019/20 campaign.
As well as winning renown as a goal scorer, he also had a tendency to get himself in hot water with referees and was sent off 24 times for Los Blancos.
Ramos, who is LaLiga’s most carded ever player, added to that tally against Real Madrid, not for his clash with Rudiger but for a later foul on Jude Bellingham. He has now been shown 192 cards in total.
