FC Barcelona have come across various adversaries over the years in La Liga and particularly in El Clasicos. However, arguably none have been any more fierce than Real Madrid legend and former captain Sergio Ramos.
A true veteran of the ‘Classic’ fixture, the 38-year-old has made 45 appearances in El Clasico, a record number of participations that is shared by Barcelona legend and Argentine hero Lionel Messi. Over his 45 appearances, Ramos has contributed 5 goals and 3 assists, but has only managed to win 15 of those encounters.
As he now returns to Spain to play for former club Sevilla after a brief stint at French club Paris Saint-Germain, his next test will be against FC Barcelona in La Liga and he recently even spoke about his Catalan opponents.
In a recent interview, as highlighted by Spanish outlet SPORT, the Spanish veteran highlighted his ambitions against Barcelona and how facing them always brings about additional motivation:
“(This encounter) has an extra motivation because it’s against one of the best teams.”
He further added that, in his opinion, Barcelona are always considered favorites for the major tournaments and this year is no different as well, and this is exactly why facing them brings about added motivation:
“(Barcelona) are favorites for everything, in La Liga and in the Champions League, and that’s what makes a victory against them so emotionally significant.”
Lastly, given that Sergio Ramos remains one of football’s highest-scoring defenders, he stated that in the scenario that he manages to score against Barcelona, he would be very pleased to have it as his first for Sevilla this time around and already has a celebration in mind as well:
“I hope I could score my first goal against Barça. A goal? I have the celebration prepared, and it’s quite amusing for everyone.”
With less than four hours to go, Xavi Hernandez and his Barcelona squad will be raring to have a go at getting the three points against Sevilla at the Montjuic Stadium. Forgetting the draw suffered against Mallorca, the Barca players will now need to divert their entire attention towards Sevilla.
