Real Madrid: Ranking the top 3 players of the season after El Clasico

Real Madrid CB Sergio Ramos

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos showed the extent of his value to the club, once again, in El Clasico. Without Ramos, Real may not have come back from two tough losses to Cadiz and Shakhtar Donetsk to beat Barcelona.

He won and scored the penalty to make the game 2-1, showing the calmness and finishing from the spot that has enabled him to make every single penalty of his career. And as Real Madrid will tell you from years of experience with their previous penalty specialist, that is an incredible asset to have, particularly for a top club.

Ramos is second on the team to only Toni Kroos in passes per game, attempting a little over 65 per match. Nearly 93 percent of those passes are completed, and he leads the team with eight long balls attempted.

The range and accuracy of Ramos’ passing enable Real Madrid to create from deep and play the ball out of tough situations to maintain possession.

Defensively, Ramos remains world-class. His signature tackle on Lionel Messi against Barcelona was a reminder of his quality, and he’s averaging a healthy 1.3 interceptions per game.

Real’s No. 4 always puts his body on the line for the team, and his individual excellence and historic offensive contributions from the center back position are only exceeded by his ability to elevate his teammates as a leader. He is still Real’s most valuable player.