Real Madrid: Ranking the five best moments of Sergio Ramos’ Champions League career

3.  A performance to remember: semifinals 2014 vs FC Bayern

Ramos’ complete performance in the 2013-14 Champions League semi-final second leg versus Bayern Munich was central to Real Madrid’s stunning 4-0 victory. Not only did he score two headers to seal the tie, but he also put in a splendid defensive shift to help his team earn a clean sheet against the then-reigning champions.

What made Ramos’ performance all the more special was the fact that it came against an opponent that had caused him much heartbreak in the Champions League in years past. What better way to erase those traumatic memories than to put in a masterful performance against Bayern on their own patch?

In the 2011-12 season semi-final, Ramos skied a crucial penalty kick as Real Madrid suffered a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat. Back in 2007, he saw a fantastic stoppage-time winner ruled out for handball as Los Blancos crashed out at the Round of 16 stages at the hands of the Bavarians.

This time, however, Los Blancos were riding on a one-goal advantage from the first leg at Bernabeu. In the second leg, however, Sergio Ramos ruled the pitch. His defensive interventions aside he headed the opener for Los Blancos of a Modric free-kick past, Manuel Neuer. His second goal, again from a headed set-piece sealed the tie with two goals in 4 minutes.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace shortly after Ramos’s to complete a 5-0 aggregate thrashing of the German giants. A final was finally on the cards after 12 years of hustling as Real completed La Decima, with the big man crucial again in the final. (We will talk about this later.)