PSG boss Luis Enrique salutes “wonderful player” Gonçalo Ramos after hat-trick | OneFootball

Portugal striker Gonçalo Ramos scored a hat-trick in Ligue 1 on Saturday as champions Paris Saint-Germain began preparations for the Champions League final with a 4-1 win over Montpellier.

PSG secured their place in the European showpiece occasion against Internazionale at the end of the month with a midweek victory over Arsenal, and Ramos did his chances of appearing in the final no harm with three goals this weekend.

Manager Luis Enrique made plenty of changes to his line-up for the trip to Stade de la Mosson, introducing several youth players as he named the youngest side in the club’s history. Ramos was afforded his 12th start in Ligue 1 this term and responded with a clinical hat-trick, taking his league tally to 10 goals.

Speaking after the match, there were kind words afforded to Ramos from Spanish boss Luis Enrique, who rested Nuno Mendes, João Neves and Vitinha for the occasion. Having missed the first three months of the season with an ankle injury, Ramos has been a reliable option when PSG have looked to rotate.

“He’s a wonderful player, capable of very high performances,” Luis Enrique said on Saturday. “If he plays a minute, he plays it very well. If he’s not on the pitch, he still helps the team. And today, he came into the starting eleven and scored three goals. So he’s a player who always performs at his best, and I would call him a guarantee.”

Ramos himself was pleased to boost his goal tally in the build-up to the Champions League final in Munich. Whilst the former Benfica man is unlikely to start against Inter barring injury to others, his consistent output gives him every opportunity to be involved in the quest to make PSG European champions for the first time.

“It’s great. It’s not easy to score four goals here, away from home,” he said.

“We’re very happy, and now it’s time to make the most of it. It’s always good to score a goal, but to score three is amazing. My first goal? It was a team move and I was at the end of it. For the third I had my back to goal, I turned and the bar helped me.”

PSG also have the Coupe de France final to contest, with Reims waiting opponents for the match at Stade de France on 24th May – one week before the meeting with Inter.