“I was a bit surprised” – Jamal Musiala names 37-year-old star as the toughest defender he played against
Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala recently named former Real Madrid and Spain captain Sergio Ramos as the toughest defender he has ever played against.
Musiala came up against the Spaniard when Bayern Munich faced Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 this season. The Bavarians won the contest 3-0 on aggregate across two legs.
Musiala, though, was impressed with how Ramos carried himself during the game. He said (via Bayern's website):
“I was a bit surprised by the way Sergio Ramos defended. He was very intuitive and tackled well.”
Ramos is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time. Hence, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Jamal Musiala got a taste of the Spaniard's quality during the recent face-offs against Bayern.
Musiala, though, faced Ramos at the tail end of his career as the 37-year-old is well past his prime. Despite that, his quality was on display.
Ramos established himself as one of the greatest defenders during his 16-year spell at Real Madrid. He played 671 games for the club and won four UEFA Champions League trophies and five La Liga titles, among numerous other trophies. He also won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain.
The central defender recently played his final game for PSG. He will leave the club as a free agent in the summer. Ramos has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League. Le10Sport reported that Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are battling for his signature.
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel was livid with Jamal Musiala last month
Bayern lost to Freiburg in the DFB Pokal quarter-final by a score of 2-1 last month. It was Thomas Tuchel's first defeat since taking over from Julian Nagelsmann. The German was angry with Jamal Musiala and other players' roles in that loss.
With the score tied at 1-1, Musiala handled the ball inside the area, handling the opposition a penalty. The spot kick was converted and Bayern suffered a defeat. Speaking after the game, Tuchel said (via GOAL):
"We lost two headers before that in the box, in the last minute. You have to put your body in there, be more stable, be tougher. Two header duels, a first ball, second ball, third ball - that's too much in the box in the last Minute. It's easy."
Jamal Musiala, though, made amends for his error on the final matchday of the Bundesliga. The youngster scored a last-ditch stunner from outside the box against FC Koln. His goal helped Bayern secure a 2-1 win and lif the Bundesliga in a tense final day as a result.