Memorable moments: Sergio Ramos sends Real Madrid into extra time in the Champions League final

The year 2002 was the last time Real Madrid dominated the Champions League for a long time. Madrid had to wait until 2014 to win their tenth trophy, known in Spanish as ‘La Décima’, in the most prestigious competition. And it all started with a pinpoint header from Sergio Ramos.

Memorable Moments is a special project by Ruik that commemorates the most iconic moments that have happened in football. Today, we look back at Sergio Ramos’ header in the Champions League final.

Real Madrid dominate the Champions League. It has the most trophies, having won the competition nine times. But they all want to win the 10th anniversary trophy, and they’ve been waiting an unusually long time for it.

President Florentino Pérez is doing everything he can, launching the Galacticos project, bringing in the last two Ballon d’Or winners (Kaká, Ronaldo), but it is still not enough. Gradually, however, he is abandoning the path of buying expensive stars, but rather trying to systematically replenish the team as needed. And it is bearing fruit.

In the 2013/14 season, Real Madrid under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti are rolling one team after another and reaching the Champions League final for the first time since 2002. There, city rivals Atlético Madrid await.

For the first time in the history of the competition, two teams from the same city will face each other in the final and the duel is highly watched globally. Real Madrid is the slight favourite, although the warrior Atlético Madrid under General Diego Simeone, who have just won La Liga, are not to be underestimated.

Captain’s error

As expected, the match was in the spirit of conquering Atlético Madrid’s solid defence. Real have more of the ball, but don’t have many clear-cut chances and when they do, Gareth Bale punishingly throws them away. And so a huge shock comes for the white section of Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz stadium in the 36th minute.

Real Madrid’s defence clears a corner just outside the penalty area, where Juanfran curls the ball into the penalty area. The way the ball flew high, goalkeeper Iker Casillas thought he would catch the ball, only to be wrong. The ball started to fall quickly, Diego Godín’s header beat the onrushing Real Madrid captain to send the Rojiblancos into the lead.

92::48

Real Madrid are starting to bang on the door in the second half. However, Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema are not converting their big chances.

With all looking lost, a corner comes in the 93rd minute. The last chance to take the game into extra time. Luka Modric is on hand to execute, he is briefly offered by Carvajal, but the Croatian rejects him and sends the ball straight into the box.

The ball is in the air, everyone in the stadium is holding their breath. The ball is headed right to Sergio Ramos, who is unblocked by Bale. The Real Madrid stopper knocks the ball and it flies towards the left post…

A moment of suspense and it’s a goal! The white section of the stadium erupts in huge euphoria, right in front of their fans the players celebrate the crucial goal along with the entire bench, who run to the flag at lightning speed.

Real Madrid won the extra time at 92:48, which will forever be written in golden letters in the history of the Royal Club.

Overtime

From that moment on, there was only one team on the pitch. Almost everybody knew that Atlético, absolutely exhausted physically, had played the entire second half just to keep the result, and there was no strength left to score another goal. Especially after such a moral blow in the 93rd minute.

Real created several chances in the first part of extra time, but the Colchoneros held on with all their last strength. They try to defend the draw at all costs and take the game to penalties, only to see Ángel di María born with ten minutes to go.

He gets rid of three defenders on the left wing, his shot is still caught by Courtois, but he is short on Bale’s finish. Marcelo adds a third goal with two minutes to go, and Cristiano Ronaldo completes the rout from a penalty in the final minute. Real Madrid turn the match around and win convincingly 4-1.

Hero Ramos

However, nothing would have been possible without Ramos’ header. “That day touched the heavens,” recalled, for example, the daily Marca.

“I think it’s in Real Madrid’s DNA to fight until the very end. If there is a chance, we believe something can be done,” Ramos later recalled.

“I was calm and confident that we would score. Sergio was in a good position, he made a great jump and after he finished it went down in history,” assistant Modric recalled of the memorable goal.

“We had practised it a lot, we did it in the semi-final against Bayern and in some games in La Liga. It’s important to send a good ball into the area, Sergio makes a good move with the help of his teammates’ block and finds the ball and then it’s up to him to finish,” Modric explained.

Source: Real Madrid, Youtube