Real Madrid 0-1 FC Barcelona: Hits and Flops | LaLiga 2018-19

#3 Flop: Sergio Ramos

Both captains forehead to forehead: Ramos brought Messi down with a forearm to the face

Three things are constant in life. Death, Taxes, Ramos playing mixed-martial arts in El Clasico. The defender who could easily be one of the best in the world just plays too dirty in Clasicos. One exception would be the first leg of the Copa del Rey game. Ramos managed to make out of the game without a receiving a red card, although he could have seen red twice.

First, he elbowed Messi in the face with half time looming and then went forehead to forehead with the Argentine. He could easily have received a red card for the offense without complaints. He received a yellow card in the 60th minute and he might have doubled the count on other occasions too.

Playing dirty cannot be a characteristic to out someone as a flop but it certainly fuels the proposal. Early in the game, Lionel Messi threaded a through ball from under Ramos' nose which could easily have been converted by Suarez. He was heavily involved in the first goal of Rakitic and couldn't make a shot block and neither did he pick Raki up at the first place.

Lionel Messi danced past him before chipping the ball only just wide of Courtois' far post. Raktic made a through ball bypassing Madrid's defensive line to Lionel Messi, while Ramos and the others couldn't even move a muscle. A defender doesn't normally get away with so many mistakes and Ramos could have been at the heart of three goals. He won 2/3 aerial duels, no tackles, no interceptions. An underwhelming performance from the Madrid captain.

Sergio Ramos is easily the dirtiest player in soccer maybe even of all time pic.twitter.com/n8wQQ9grvG

— Just Now Sports (@JustNowSports) March 2, 2019