Ramos misses two spot kicks on his record night

On the night of his European men's record-setting 177th international appearance on Saturday, he was given two chances from the spot to celebrate with a goal. Ramos missed them both.

Geneva: A World Cup winner, European champion with Spain and Real Madrid, and expert penalty taker, Sergio Ramos had scored from his last 25 spot kicks.

On the night of his European men’s record-setting 177th international appearance on Saturday, he was given two chances from the spot to celebrate with a goal. Ramos missed them both.

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Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer twice guessed right, and dived to his right, to save in the 57th and 80th minutes. Though the first was well struck, the second was a flat, slow flop of an attempted chip and kept Spain trailing by one goal. Ramos was spared further embarrassment by substitute Gerard Moreno firing an 89th-minute leveller in a 1-1 draw in the Nations League.

Still, Spain coach Luis Enrique was not going to lose faith in his captain who is among world soccer’s most battle-hardened defenders. “Ramos hadn’t missed in 25 tries,” Enrique said.

“If there had been a third penalty, he would have taken it as well. And a fourth, and a fifth.” The Ramos drama, as he passed Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon’s European men’s mark of 176 international games, took some attention from a high-class goal that gave Switzerland a 26th-minute lead.

Remo Freuler’s technique was perfect to guide an angled, half-volley shot that rose and floated beyond Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón’s reach. Spain’s lapse in Switzerland let Germany take the lead in Group 4 of the Nations League top tier ahead of their decisive meeting on Tuesday in Seville.

Germany won 3-1 against a Ukraine team that lost four players to positive tests for Covid-19 on Friday.

France became the first team to advance to the Nations League Final Four next year, beating defending champion Portugal 1-0 in Lisbon. The second-half goal was scored by midfielder N’Golo Kanté pouncing on a loose ball fumbled by Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio. Even without the injured Kylian Mbappe, France ensured it will top Group 3 ahead of completing its program against Sweden on Tuesday.

The four top-tier group winners qualify for a knockout mini-tournament scheduled next October, and to be hosted by the Group 1 winner. That will be Italy, Poland or the Netherlands. Sweden improved its chances of avoiding relegation to the second tier by beating Croatia 2-1 on Saturday.

For the first time on Saturday, UEFA canceled a Nations League game because of Covid-19 infections. Norway was due in Romania to play on Sunday, but could not travel after players were ordered into quarantine by its home health authorities.

Norway risks a 3-0 loss by forfeit for not fulfilling the match scheduled in Bucharest. There are no clearly available dates in the international calendar to make up the game.

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