Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos marks European appearance record with two missed penalties as Switzerland hold Spain

Defender fails from the spot for the first time since May 2018 on his 177th cap for his national team

Sergio Ramos at the end of the Uefa Nations League 1-1 draw between Switzerland and Spain at St. Jakob-Park in Basel. AFP

Switzerland's Haris Seferovic dribbles past Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon. AP

Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer saves a penalty from Sergio Ramos. AFP

Sergio Ramos reacts after missing his second penalty kick. AFP

Sergio Ramos shoots from the penalty spot but fails to score for the second time. AFP

Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer makes a save from Sergio Ramos' penalty. Reuters

Ricardo Rodriguez (L) and Granit Xhaka (R) congratulate Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer after he saved Sergio Ramos' penalty. AFP

Spain manager Luis Enrique with his goalkeeper Unai Simon after the match. EPA

Sergio Ramos makes a goalline clearance during Spain's match against Switzerland. AFP

Spain's Sergio Ramos reacts after missing a penalty. Reuters

Spain forward Gerard Moreno (L) scores the equaliser during the Uefa Nations League match against Switzerland. AFP

Gerard Moreno (L) celebrates with teammates midfielder Koke and defender Sergio Reguilon after scoring against Switzerland. AFP

Spain's Koke challenges for the ball against Switzerland's Breel Embolo. Reuters

Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri is put under pressure by Spain's Sergio Busquets. Reuters

Switzerland defender Ricardo Rodriguez takes a free kick against Spain. AFP

Switzerland's Remo Freuler celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal against Spain. Reuters

Spain manager Luis Enrique insisted Sergio Ramos will remain on penalty duties after the Real Madrid captain missed two spot kicks in the 1-1 Nations League draw against Switzerland on Saturday.

Ramos, 34, was playing his 177th match for Spain to break Italy goalkeeper  Gianluigi Buffon's European appearance record but the historic milestone was somewhat marred by his missed penalties.

The defender truly made his mark on the occasion, ending a remarkable run of scoring 25 consecutive penalties by missing two in the second half while also producing a goalline clearance to prevent Switzerland forward Haris Seferovic making it 2-0.

Ramos could also have scored in open play late in the game only to miss the target, but Gerard Moreno did find an equaliser to avert what would have been a second consecutive Nations League defeat for Spain after last month's 1-0 loss to Ukraine.

But Enrique said Ramos's twin spot-kick misses would not affect his captain.

"Sergio's numbers when it comes to taking penalties are in the reach of few players. If we had got a third penalty or a fourth one he would have taken them as well," he said. "He had scored his last 25, but football has moments like this."

The number one spot-kick taker for Real Madrid and Spain, despite being a defender, Ramos has been imperious from the spot in recent years, with his last miss coming when he hit the crossbar in Madrid's 3-2 defeat by Sevilla in May 2018.

He has confessed to relishing the high-stakes situation of a penalty, scoring a number of crucial spot-kicks in Real's run to the Primera Liga title last season as well as netting from the spot in last month's 3-1 win at Barcelona.

But he finally met his match in Swiss keeper Yann Sommer, who guessed the right way to parry Ramos' first penalty early in the second half and then refused to be fooled by the Spaniard's 'Panenka' routine which has worked so well for him in the past.

"It's a real shame that Ramos missed the penalties because he's usually so good," said Spain forward Dani Olmo.

"But he's very strong mentally and I'm sure that the next time he takes a penalty he'll score."