Sergio Ramos: Ronaldo has always shown up for these big games

The defender was full of praise for the Portuguese forward and Raphael Varane following Real Madrid's overwhelming victory over Barcelona to seal a place in the Copa del Rey final

Sergio Ramos has called teammate Cristiano Ronaldo the best player in the world after his inspirational performance led Real Madrid to an incredible 3-1 win at Barcelona in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal.

The capital outfit will play either Atletico Madrid or Sevilla in the final on May 18 after a pair of goals from Ronaldo and a corner kick header from Raphael Varane saw Los Blancos progress by a 4-2 aggregate scoreline. Jordi Alba’s last-ditch strike came too late for Barcelona to have any consequence, as Madrid coasted to the victory at Camp Nou, with Ronaldo's penalty kick and follow of a saved Angel Di Maria shot providing plenty of road fireworks.

Ramos was full of praise for Ronaldo’s display, telling reporters: “For me, Cristiano is the best in the world, and has always shown up in these types of games.

“We have done very well because against Barcelona it is complicated to find space. The result is deserved.”

Ramos also had kind words for the performance of 19-year-old central defensive partner Varane, who scored a goal in each leg of the semifinal and was outstanding defensively throughout the tie.

"Young people like Varane must be given opportunities to play, and tonight, we have seen the positives [of this approach],” Ramos said.

The Spanish rivals will face each other once again on Saturday at Santiago Beranbeu in La Liga in what is sure to be another feisty clash despite Barcelona carrying a 16-point edge with 13 games remaining in the league season.