Milan’s visit to Benfica was meant to carry a personal note for Gonçalo Ramos, who had said beforehand that he would not celebrate if he scored against the club where he made his name. In the end, the occasion never reached that point. The Portuguese striker completed the full match under Ruben Amorim without managing a shot on target, extending a difficult start to his Rossoneri chapter.
Milan must bring Ramos into the game
Ramos has now gone three consecutive matches without testing the opposing goalkeeper and has failed to score in four of his last five appearances. For a centre-forward bought from Paris Saint-Germain for more than €70 million plus bonuses, the numbers will inevitably invite scrutiny, particularly at a club still trying to escape the old burden attached to Milan’s No. 9 shirt.
Yet the concern is not simply his finishing. Against Benfica, Ramos touched the ball only four times inside the opposition penalty area. Adrien Rabiot, introduced after the interval and not a natural forward, managed six touches there. Ramos attempted three efforts, two with his head, but none found the target. He also contested 16 challenges, a figure more usually associated with a defender such as Strahinja Pavlovic, while losing possession 16 times — more than any other Milan player.
That last detail is especially unusual for a player whose work on the ball has generally been dependable, even when matches have turned against him. His frustration appears to be growing as he searches for involvement, often dropping away from the penalty area rather than receiving the kind of service expected by a striker of his profile.
Amorim has previously made the wider point: Milan as a whole must improve in the way it supports its centre-forward. Ramos has too often been isolated, or forced to retreat into deeper areas simply to take part in the move. The team’s slow attacking starts underline the same problem. Across five competitive fixtures, Milan have not scored before half-time, a pattern that has left the side short of early control and their striker short of chances.
There may be a familiar voice around Milanello for Ramos in the coming weeks. Speaking to UEFA, the Portuguese forward named Zlatan Ibrahimovic as one of his principal inspirations, saying: “Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of my biggest inspirations. I have always liked him and tried to copy some of his actions on the pitch. He is a role model for me, and the fact he played for Milan makes it even more special.”
Ibrahimovic returned to Milanello this week and is likely to have spoken with Ramos already. The Swede is not a Milan employee, but works as a RedBird partner, and his experience may still be useful to a forward carrying a large fee and an even larger expectation.
The issue, however, went beyond Ramos in Lisbon. Milan’s entire attacking department failed to score for the first time this season. Omari Hutchinson, making his first start in a Rossoneri shirt, began with some promise but faded quickly before being replaced by Christian Pulisic at half-time. Pulisic could not produce the sort of turnaround he had managed against Lazio, while Cisse and Alexis Saelemaekers offered little in the final third.
Saelemaekers did not attempt to dress up the performance afterwards. “We have no excuses,” the Belgian said. It was a blunt verdict on an afternoon that leaves Milan needing more than patience from their No. 9: they need a more coherent attacking game around him.
SEO Title: Milan must help Gonçalo Ramos end difficult scoring run
SEO Description: Gonçalo Ramos endured another quiet outing as Milan’s attack drew a blank, leaving Ruben Amorim’s side searching for better support around their €70m striker.
