Like an impression of deja vu, and it is possible to say. Gonçalo Ramos has lived a season hitherto marked by a constant paradox. Efficient when he comes into play, but unable to confirm when he is aligned immediately. Last Saturday against AJ Auxerre (2-0), the Portuguese international had been established and failed to find the flaw against a grouped team. Aligned in the forefront to take advantage of the absences of Dembélé and gifted, the number 9 of PSG had delivered a service deemed insufficient, chaining with a series of mixed performance which raise a question on its ability to impose itself permanently in the Parisian eleven. Even his confidence and his physical presence, often rented by Luis Enrique, were not enough to transform this playing time into offensive efficiency. Last night, in Montjuïc against FC Barcelona, the scenario changed radically with the choice to tenure Senny Mayulu in false nine.
Having entered during the game, Ramos waited for his moment and exploited the fatigue and the Catalan defense errors. In the 90th minute, on a rapid counterattack initiated by Hakimi, he concluded from a remarkable composure to offer victory to PSG (1-2). This goal scored his 17th scored by having entered the game, going beyond Kylian Mbappé (16) and establishing a new historic record for best replacement-drunk on the history of the club all competitions. Once again, Gonçalo Ramos has demonstrated his ability to weigh on the big meetings and to change the course of a match in a few seconds, confirming his reputation as supersub who has stuck him to the skin since his arrival in Paris: “If you compare me to Kylian, it's complicated. But 3 goals including 2 in the Champions League, it's good for an attacker to score. It was a tight match. But we continue to believe in us. We have injured players, but those who played today were excellent. We like to play football, even with a lot of injuries. We know it will be more difficult this year, because everyone wants to play against us, to fight».
A historic evening for Ramos
If his offensive statistics on the match seem modest with 10 touched balloons, 3 successful passes out of 5, 1 shot framed, they mask a decisive impact in key moments and a constant commitment on the field. Defensively, Ramos also participated in collective efforts, winning 3 duels on the ground on 4 and 1 aerial duel out of 2, contributing to recovery and pressing that smothered Barça in the crucial moments. “It's an incredible evening. We are European champions, that's all I can say. If you are the best, you must prove it on the ground, not talk about it ”he said after the meeting, not without causing the start of a controversy in Spain. This contrast between his weak influence as a holder and his efficiency at the end of the bench underlines the tactical and psychological importance he represents for Luis Enrique, namely a player capable of turning a match even with a limited playing time.
In the end, Ramos' performance against Barça confirms that it is a major strategic asset for PSG. After a false note in Ligue 1 against Auxerre, the native of Olhão responded in a much more demanding context, demonstrating that he can become decisive in moments of high European intensity. His role as a joker allows him to exploit, his patience and his scorer instinct at the right time, making him an essential element in rotations and a real asset for major meetings. For Luis Enrique and for PSG, Gonçalo Ramos is not only a luxury replacement, the former Benfica is now a player capable of transforming a critical situation into a victory and marking the history of the club by its unique efficiency from the bench. To see now if the next meetings will see the 24 -year -old scorer start on the bench or in the eleven.
