Milan: Gonçalo Ramos Has Come into His Own: Goals, Class, and Determination for Portugal

At Milan, his impact has been lackluster, if not downright inconsistent, but with the national team, it’s a different story. Gonçalo Ramos is rediscovering his instincts as a natural goal-scorer while wearing the Portugal jersey. In the Nations League, the Rossoneri’s No. 9 was, in fact, the star of Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway in Oslo. In fact, he scored the goal in the 54th minute that sealed the final result—a brilliant chip shot after snatching the ball from the feet of opposing goalkeeper Nyland. Class and a nose for the goal, then—the same qualities he displayed in the 59th minute when he dribbled past the Scandinavian goalkeeper for a brace that was nullified only by a VAR review. But the signs are very promising for Ruben Amorim, especially if the center forward can build on this performance even after his return to Milan.

This performance takes on even greater significance when viewed in the context of the Rossoneri’s difficult start to the season. Signed this summer for approximately 70 million euros—a record fee in the club’s history—Ramos had scored only one league goal so far, against Venezia, leaving more than a few doubts about the wisdom of the investment. Amorim himself had tried to quell the controversy by defending his center forward: “We have to help him and put him in a position to score goals,” the Portuguese coach said in recent days.

Signs of a turnaround had already emerged, however, in the 3-0 victory over Lecce—the last league match before the break—in which Ramos put in a more convincing performance than in previous outings, playing a key role in the build-up to Rabiot’s goal that made it 2-0. It wasn’t a goal, but at least it confirmed his greater involvement in the collective play orchestrated by Amorim.

Against Norway, Portuguese head coach Jorge Jesus had initially considered a toss-up between Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo for a starting spot, while also keeping an eye on the Joao Felix-Leao duel in the attacking midfield. In the end, the choice fell on Ramos, demonstrating that the Milan striker can still make a difference when given the right conditions.

Now the ball is back in Milan’s court. The international break has given the club on Via Aldo Rossi time to plan its transfer strategies for January, with management working on multiple fronts. But the priority, at least for now, is to see Ramos finally back in form in Serie A as well: the near-brace against Portugal—denied only by VAR—is a sign that the talent is there, and that perhaps his breakthrough with the Rossoneri is closer than it seems.