No footballer has ever been as clutch as Sergio Ramos

When Real Madrid need a big goal in a big moment against a major rival, they have a lot of options to turn to. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Karim Benzema are all great goalscorers — but the guy Real have been able to turn to again and again in big moments is Sergio Ramos.

Yes, Sergio Ramos, the center-back who expertly shields Real Madrid’s goal. He’s one of the best defenders in Europe, is also perhaps one Real Madrid’s most important big-moment players, capable or popping up in the final third to score some jaw-dropping goals.

He added two more on Tuesday, bringing his career total up to 81. This away goal was what sank Napoli’s hopes of progressing in the Champions League.

Time and again, Ramos has come up huge for Real, scoring game winning or tying goals to rescue wins or draws out of matches that it had really seemed like Real were doomed to lose. That gift of Ramos’ was on full display earlier this season during El Clásico, when he scored a last-gasp equalizer against Barcelona to win a vital point for his team.

Ramos’ nose for goals has long been one of the more interesting things about him as a player, with a defender who can reliably score goals as well being something of a rarity. His knack for the big moment is the most interesting part of that trait in Ramos, though, and at this point in his career, his huge goals hardly come as a surprise anymore.

Just look at the last couple of years in Ramos’ career. In the 2014 Champions League final against Atlético Madrid, he scored the equalizing goal in stoppage time that opened the floodgates for Real Madrid, with his teammates taking the opportunity he gave them, scoring three more goals in extra time to win La Decima.

Ramos was also key in Real simply getting there, scoring twice early in the second leg of their semifinal tie with Bayern Munich in Germany, taking the tie from a close 1-0 aggregate score to an unassailable 3-0 score with two away goals. In Real’s latest Champions League triumph just a few short month ago, Ramos scored his team’s lone goal and put in a performance so staggeringly good against Atléti that he was the only real option to win the Man of the Match Award.

But it’s not just his clutch goals that make him a legend. Ramos has been a top-shelf defender for much of his career. Sure, he’s known to have his moments of insanity or make the odd mind-boggling mistake or poor decision, but when he’s not doing that, Ramos is quite simply one of the finest defenders in the world.

Adding goalscoring and having a knack for scoring in the biggest of moments is just a delicious icing on an already-great cake. That’s evidenced by the four goals each he’s scored against Barcelona and Atlético Madrid during his Real Madrid career, and the 11 goals he’s scored in the high-stakes environment of the Champions League.

While Ramos may not be quite as prolific a goalscorer as he was earlier in his career, he still pops up now and then with important goals. Knowing that he has that touch makes him absolutely invaluable to Real Madrid.

Having a top-shelf defender is always incredibly valuable for any team of Real’s stature, but having that same defender be someone who can come up big at the other end of the pitch takes his value to a whole other level. That incredibly well-rounded game makes Ramos a unique and special player, and one that should be treasured.