Gonçalo Ramos remains Milan’s first-choice centre-forward, and the coming European trip to Salzburg will provide another opportunity to turn a quiet club spell into something closer to his international form. The concern is not yet a crisis, but the gap between Portugal’s sharpness and Milan’s service has become difficult to ignore.
The decision
Ruben Amorim has continued to place full faith in Ramos. The former Paris Saint-Germain striker has started every match, while Francesco Camarda was again left on the bench in Reggio Emilia. There is no immediate suggestion that Milan intend to change their hierarchy at centre-forward.
That confidence will extend to Thursday’s Europa League match in Salzburg, where Ramos is expected to feature prominently again. He will continue to receive substantial minutes, although a rest will eventually be required. It could come against Atalanta next week or in the cup tie at Bournemouth, depending on his physical condition and Milan’s wider moment.
The more pressing decision belongs to the team around him. Milan need to create conditions in which their No. 9 can score. Ramos cost more than €70 million, and a prolonged lack of goals would inevitably bring harsher scrutiny. Some supporters have already begun using the “Ghostalo” label online, a premature judgement in October but one that could become more damaging if the drought continues into next month.
Sunday’s picture
Milan’s trip to Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium underlined the issue. A Portuguese television crew had travelled from Lisbon to Reggio Emilia to follow Ramos after his productive international break, but there was little footage of a decisive individual display to take home.
Ramos had two chances across the match. In one, he moved beyond Gila on the right, cut back onto his left foot and saw goalkeeper Arijanet Muric save his effort. The other arrived from Samuel Chukwueze’s cross: Ramos directed a header towards goal but did not place it far enough from Muric, who dealt with it again.
It was a modest return for a forward who had scored three goals in three starts for Portugal during the international window. He found the net every time he began a match, including against Norway and Denmark, and had looked well connected with Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Pedro Neto and the rest of Portugal’s attacking group.
At Milan, the picture was different. Ramos worked hard and kept moving, but often appeared detached from the team’s attacking rhythm. The ball moved too slowly at times, allowing Sassuolo to settle into their defensive work, while the striker’s runs did not always seem to have a clear route to the next pass.
The numbers reflected that isolation. Ramos completed 14 passes in 90 minutes plus stoppage time, attempted four dribbles without succeeding in any of them, and had only 34 touches of the ball — roughly one every three minutes.
His last Milan goal came against Venezia on 28 August, in a match marked by a succession of missed opportunities. More than 40 days have now passed without another club goal. That is not yet a defining problem for a player who retains his coach’s backing, but it is becoming an important strand in Milan’s season: Ramos needs support, and Milan need their centre-forward involved before patience becomes pressure.
