Antonio Rudiger and Sergio Ramos clash during Sevilla vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

Things got very heated between Antonio Rudiger and Sergio Ramos when Sevilla hosted Real Madrid. The pair confronted each other during their La Liga clash, a coming together made even more bizarre given that they were seen being very friendly just 10 minutes before it all kicked off.

The two defenders came into the tie hoping to help their side get three points in the first game after the international break. For Ramos, the match had even more emotional value as it was the first time he had faced his old club since his emotional return to Sevilla this summer.

While Los Blancos were hoping to continue their title charge and cement their status as the division leaders, Sevilla were hoping to continue their resurgence after a poor start to the 2023/24 season. Los Nervionenses have only won two games so far, picking two draws along the way too. And they faced a very difficult test on Saturday evening.

Bellingham goal disallowed and Ramos makes huge block

It looked as if Sevilla could have been in for a long day right at the start of the match. Jude Bellingham, who has had a fine start to life in Spain with eight league goals in eight matches for his new club, thought he had found the back of the net once again. Madrid broke forward in the seventh minute, with Bellingham finishing off the move, but the referee had stopped the game for a foul in the build-up before then. The English midfielder celebrated the goal without realising, with his teammates protesting the decision.

Ramos then played a key role in keeping the score level when he made a massive block just after the half hour mark. A free-kick was whipped in by Toni Kroos towards David Alaba, but the retreating Ramos sent the ball over the crossbar to keep the score level. A much better defensive effort than his own goal against Barcelona a few weeks ago.

Rudiger and Ramos clash

Shortly before the set-piece, though, footage had emerged of a more wholesome moment between former Real Madrid defender Ramos and current centre-back, Rudiger. The Spaniard can be seen grabbing the latter’s head and giving him a big smile, with the pair joking around during a brief break. A sign of the respect each man has for the other.

But that vibe was never likely to last, especially as both men like to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Just over ten minutes later, they were at each other’s throats, with Rudiger’s teammates stepping in to diffuse the tension.

Footage appears to show that Rudiger pushing Ramos around prior to the incident, but it just as easily be something else. Both of them most likely lost their heads for a second during the heat of the match. Check out the confrontation for yourselves below.

Watch: Ramos and Rudiger kick off

Properly heated stuff that. You love to see it in a game as big as this between two massive personalities on the pitch.

Ramos' herorics looked as if they might have secured a win when Madrid conceded an own goal through Alaba in the 74th minute. But he could not stop the equaliser four minutes later, with Dani Carvajal equalising for the visitors with a header from a free kick.

The hosts will take a 1-1 draw considering the form their opponents had been in prior to the match, and they will hope to build on that result. Sevilla are next in action against Arsenal in the Champions League before travelling to face Cadiz, while Madrid play Braga in Europe before next weekend's Clasico against Barcelona.