Sergio Ramos turns 35 today and there's no better way than celebrating what many described as the 'perfect tackle,' when he stopped Lionel Messi last year.
There is little question that Ramos is one of the best defenders in recent memory, if not the number one, and that's no matter what you think of his sh*thouse tactics.
Advert
Whilst the Real Madrid captain has an incredible list of achievements to his name, a game just a few months ago might have included his best personal moment of defending.
In the Clasico back in October, Ramos pulled off the most amazing tackle on a rampaging Messi, as the six time Ballon d'Or winner looked to be running through on goal in injury time.
Ramos somehow won the ball with his leg flicked out behind him when it looked for all the world like his opponent was past him already.
"Everyone knows Ramos is an amazing player, but I feel like people don't like to admit just how amazing of a defender he is - look at that tackle on Messi," one fan said on Twitter at the time.
Advert
Another tweeted, "Does anyone have a pic of that Ramos tackle? It deserves to be my wallpaper," and quite frankly who can blame him."
The moment came as Ramos was making his 45th appearance in the Clasico, which is a record one above Messi and it was certainly a hell of a game for him.
Zinedine Zidane was in desperate need for a win in the biggest game in Spanish football, following a week where his side lost to Cadiz in La Liga and at home to Shakhtar in the Champions League.
Advert
Federico Valverde gave the away side the lead in the fifth minute before Ansu Fati became the youngest goalscorer in the fixture's history just three minutes later.
Ramos won a penalty in the 63rd minute, when his shirt was pulled from a corner, before stepping up to bury the spot kick.
Luka Modric rounded off the scoring later on, before Ramos once again made an impact on the game with his late challenge.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Sergio Ramos, Football, El Clasico, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Real Madrid, La Liga