Grinding it out in the genes, roars Ramos
Sergio Ramos said his stoppage-time equalizer against Barcelona proved a neversay-die attitude is part of Real Madrid’s DNA.
Ramos strode forward from defence to head home and earn a 1-1 draw in El Clasico on Saturday after Luis Suarez’s 53rd-minute opener looked set to end Madrid’s 32-game unbeaten run.
The victory maintained Real’s six-point lead at the top of the table over Barca.
“The team has again showed that we came here to win the game, it wasn’t to be but we got a point,” said Ramos.
“At the end of the day the DNA of Real Madrid obliges you to fight until the end, to always have hope.”
Ramos’ header was a hammer blow for Barca, who has now dropped more points at home already this campaign than it did last season in total.
“It shows that we have done things well since the start of the season, but we can’t go crazy,” added Ramos.
“Six points is just two games. There is a long way to go and Barca and the other teams below will make things very difficult.
“We prefer to rely on ourselves, but neither should we be singing from the rooftops.”
Despite Ramos’ heroics,
Barcelona boss Luis Enrique believes the Spanish champion will need a dramatic improvement in its home form if it is to prevent Real Madrid running away with a first La Liga title in five years.
Sergio Ramos’s stoppagetime equalizer salvaged a point for Madrid in a 1-1 draw in El Clasico on Saturday to maintain a six-point lead at the top of the table.
Uncharacteristically, Barca has already dropped nine points at home in La Liga this season in, winning just three of its seven matches at Camp Nou.
“Right now there is a solid leader that have gone many games without slipping up,” said Enrique.
“They have the resources and variety in their play to keep
Madrid’s standout performer was Luka Modric as the Croatian ran the midfield in the opening 45 minutes before Barca upped their game after the break.
“We played like a team,” said Modric.
“If we leave it all out on the field, it is very difficult to beat us. We have to do this in every game, not just in El Clasico.”
Suarez awoke from an offcolour display to head home Neymar’s free-kick to give Barca the lead.
However, Luis Enrique’s men were left to rue huge missed chances from Neymar and Lionel Messi before Ramos’ late leveller.
One piece of positive news for Barcelona, though, was the return of captain Andres Iniesta from injury as the Spain international put on a virtuoso display as a secondhalf substitute in midfield.
“The feeling could be that we’ve dropped two points, but there is no time to feel sorry for ourselves,” said Iniesta.
“The games come thick and fast and we have to win and hope Madrid slip up.
“Madrid are a dangerous team but we played well.
“Normally you are left with what comes last and that was Madrid’s equalizer. It was a shame not to have taken our chances at 1-0.”
At the end of the day the DNA of Real Madrid obliges you to fight until the end, to always have hope.” Sergio Ramos, on his stoppagetime equalizer in El Clasico