“Now I have confidence in myself” – Gonçalo Ramos on PSG hot streak
Gonçalo Ramos looks set to be one of Portugal’s most in-form players heading into this summer’s European Championships, having enjoyed a drastic upturn in goalscoring form with Paris Saint-Germain since the turn of the year.
Ramos struggled in the first half of the campaign having switched to the French capital from Benfica in a big-money move last summer. However, Sunday’s late equaliser for PSG against Le Havre was his 5th goal in his last 6 appearances, half of which have come from the bench.
PSG meet Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals this week, hoping to advance to the final and finally end their quest for Europe’s biggest prize. Ramos’ form may have earned him a starting spot in Luis Enrique’s side and the fact the Portuguese was chosen as the club’s representative in UEFA’s press conference may be a positive sign.
“I’m ready and work hard every day to earn my spot in the starting XI,” said Ramos, who scored three goals for PSG before the New Year but has 11 in all competitions in 2024. “I’m always ready to give my very best and score goals for the team.
“We never know who will play so everyone works very hard in training. Every single player knows what they have to do to get an opportunity and I think that’s a very good thing for the team.
“My first months here weren’t easy, I needed to adapt to the new environment, but I worked very hard and everyone helped me. Now I have more confidence in myself and physically, I’m 100% and ready to play.
“We are very confident. We have worked all season to be ready for this match. We are here with the intention of winning. We believe in our team and we are ready to fight to go all the way in this competition. Dortmund is a team that we played in the group stage, so we know them very well. We have every confidence in our own qualities for tomorrow’s match.”
Another Portuguese making waves at the Parc des Prince this season is midfielder Vitinha. The former Porto man has been one of PSG’s standout players and was vital in their CL progress against Barcelona, none of which comes as a surprise to Ramos.
“I think Vitinha is one of the most important players in the team. But that doesn’t surprise me because I’ve known him for a very long time and I also know how good he is and his potential. It was only a question of time before he reached the level he’s currently playing at.”
By @SeanGillen9