SERGIO RAMOS scored his 15th Champions League goal as he helped fire Real Madrid into the quarter-finals.
The 178-cap Spain defender, 34, grabbed Los Blancos’ second in a 3-1 win as the LaLiga giants cruised past Atalanta.
In finding the net, Ramos overtook his own manager – legendary midfielder Zinedine Zidane – in the Champions League goal charts.
And the Spaniard went past a host of superstar strikers, too.
Incredibly, despite his long career at the likes of Real and Juventus, Zidane scored just 14 times in Europe’s elite competition.
Brazilian legend Ronaldo and Spain striker David Villa both also only managed to reach the 14-goal mark.
Holland veteran Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Inter Milan icon Adriano are two more to have scored just 14 Champions League goals in their career.
Miroslav Klose – holder of the record for most World Cup goals with 16 – also mustered just 14 strikes at Europe’s top table.
That means, centre-back Ramos leads all of those illustrious forwards with his 15 goals.
His tally has certainly been helped by being Real’s designated penalty specialist.
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But Ramos has scored plenty of other crucial goals for Real in the Champions League.
Most-notably, Ramos scored in a 93rd-minute equaliser against rivals Atletico Madrid in the 2013-14 final.
Atleti had led since the 36th minute following Diego Godin’s strike.
But Ramos’ goal knocked the stuffing out of them and Real would go on to win 4-1 after extra-time with Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo all getting on the scoresheet in the additional half an hour.
Ramos has now scored 129 times in all competitions for club and country.
But he still has a way to go to become the most prolific defender of all-time.
Now-Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman scored a staggering 253 goals, thanks to his penalty and free-kick ability – and netted the winner in the 1992 European Cup final.
Koeman most notably played as a sweeper but also occasionally lined-up in midfield.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
