Cristiano Ronaldo fails to fire but Real Madrid back to winning ways after Sergio Ramos double
Ballon d’Or winner wasteful in front of goal but Real Madrid captain shows striker’s instinct to give La Liga leaders 2-1 victory over Malaga
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos gave yet another demonstration of his attacking talents by grabbing both goals in his side’s 2-1 win over Malaga on Saturday to rack up 50 career goals in La Liga.
The Spain international is famed for his late, decisive goals, including in the 2014 Champions League final, the 2016 UEFA Super Cup and against arch-rivals Barcelona last month, although against Malaga he made his mark in the first half.
The captain leapt to send a crashing header into the top corner in the 35th minute and eight minutes later got the final touch to another whipped set-piece cross from Toni Kroos to double Real’s lead.
Ramos’ ruthlessness in front of goal contrasted with the profligacy of Real’s talisman and all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, who failed to score any of the four chances falling his way, while strikers Karim Benzema and Alvaro Morata were also wasteful.
The defender’s double took him ahead of Morata and Benzema as Real’s second-top scorer in the league with six goals, behind only Ronaldo, who has 12.
He also reached a personal milestone in bettering his previous highest season tally of five league goals, achieved in 2007-8, and became only the third defender to score 50 times in La Liga, following Fernando Hierro, who hit 105 goals, and Ronald Koeman (67).