Gonzalo Ramos, a reliable option for the post-Mbappé era

“It’s simple, sooner or later, we have to learn to play without Kylian Mbappe”. Here’s what Luis Enrique recently revealed, knowing his No. 7 should, barring a massive turnaround, leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season. Since then and to prepare for the future – a philosophy that did not fail to provoke the reaction of more than one observer – the former coach of La Roja no longer hides. A substitute for Nantes, replaced against Rennes then against Monaco, the Blues captain started once again on the Ile-de-France bench during Sunday’s reception at Stade de Reims (2-2) at 1pm. A choice made by the 53-year-old Spaniard, firmly convinced by the cloudy skies above the Parc des Princes… “Tomorrow, we will see, depending on the sun and the weather, if the sun is hot or not”The 25-year-old actually hit back at the tactics of the rouge et bleu when asked if he could make the Habs starting eleven again.

Ramos, second top Parisian scorer after Mbappé!

Without the help of the top scorer in the French championship (21 goals), PSG hoped, in any case, to continue its streak of 21 official matches without defeat. To do this, Luis Enrique – the coach who makes the most changes in his starting XI from one Ligue 1 match to the next (3.6 on average) of the 14 coaches who have been there since the start of the season – changed his plans again. Present on the bench, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha and Kylian Mbappe gave way to Keylor Navas, Kang-in Lee, Manuel Ugarte and Goncalo Ramos respectively. Set up at the forefront of a 4-3-3, the 22-year-old Portuguese seized the opportunity to score a valuable point at the heart of this game of musical chairs. After already impressive performances against Lille and Rennes, the former Benfica pyrotechnician confirmed that he can play key roles in this collective. Quickly met by his partners, the Olhao native showed a sense of purpose. If he initially lacked precision – or luck – PSG No. 9 forced Younis Abdelhamid into an error to put his team back in the match (1-1, 17th).

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With his pace and impeccable state of mind, the 1m85 right-hander gave his team an immediate advantage. On Lee’s cross, he capitalized on Atangana’s involuntary delivery to cross Diouf six meters out (2-1, 19th) and score his 6th goal in L1, Paris’ second top scorer behind Mbappe. More sensible then and while PSG, for their part, were stifled by their defensive wanderings – whether it was dominating the opening score in Reims (0-1, 7th) or the questionable defensive alignment in the equalizer de Diakite (2-2). , 45th) – The Portuguese international (10 caps, 7 goals) will nevertheless be one of Paris’ best players during this meeting. Credited with 6 by the FM editorial team, Goncalo Ramos has in any case proven that he can claim a happy future in the City of Lights. In true No. 9 style, he constantly weighed in on the champagne defense. Brave in recovery, determined in his pressing and calm in play, the PSG finisher usually shows commitment at all times.

Pure style of 9!

Taking advantage of the antipodes of the Mbappé style and the tactical system that allowed him to highlight his qualities, Ramos then distinguished himself by his impact in the Reims area, where he touched his third ball (13 of 30). Available to his partners and valuable in this role of fixation point, who has a total of 9 goals and 1 offer in 28 matches in all competitions (14 starts) has also shown great agility in his delivery. With his back to the goal, he lost very few balls while forgetting on several occasions for a better score. Less impressive in the build-up of play and not necessarily helped by PSG’s poor collective performances, Ramos, on the other hand, is not a player capable of making a significant difference away from the opposition goal. His duel with Younis Abdelhamid in the second half (in the 63rd) reminded various observers that he does not have the speed of KM7 or the devastating thrusts of Ousmane Dembele.

However, its effectiveness in the final meter presents a great cause for satisfaction. During his last 440 minutes of play, the Portuguese scored a maximum of six goals, or one every 73 minutes. An impressive ratio confirming all the capabilities of the Île-de-France center forward when he finds himself in ideal positions. Ramos, replaced shortly before the last quarter of an hour by Bondinois, should certainly not be upset, in the short term, Luis Enrique’s plans, assured today by the Barkola-Mbappe-Dembele trio, will start once again against Real Sociedad during the round. 16 second leg of the Champions League at Anoeta. However, if the Asturians opt for a system without a real professional number nine until now, the former Eagles scorer could legitimately claim a more important place in the Parisian collective in the coming months.

With Kylian Mbappé’s announced move to Real Madrid at the end of the season, Ramos would indeed be a very good option at the forefront of attack. To do this, the man concerned will have to continue at this pace until the end of the 2023-2024 financial year and hope that the summer transfer window does not blur his horizons (too much) in the French capital. “My decisions are clear, what I can say is that he is a top striker like Kolo Muani. I am very happy with both, I hope they are the present and future of the club. There will be times when they play less, like all season.

, remember, in this regard, Luis Enrique last January. Present in the mixed zone after conceding a draw against Reims, Danilo Pereira, for his part, took advantage of the rotation policy recently imposed by his coach, adding to the strength of his teammate. “It hasn’t been easy for him, he hasn’t played often, there is a lot of competition in attack but when he plays he gives his all, now with the goals it gives him confidence too”, noted the Parisian defender. Yes, the present is exciting and the future looks bright for Goncalo Ramos…