Ian Wright and Nigel De Jong laud hat-trick hero Goncalo Ramos

Ian Wright and Nigel De Jong laud ‘very impressive’ Goncalo Ramos… after the striker replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal’s starting XI and netted a HAT-TRICK in 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland

  • Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped from Portugal’s starting XI against Switzerland
  • He was replaced by Goncalo Ramos, who came in and netted a hat-trick
  • Ian Wright and Nigel De Jong were very impressed by Ramos’s performance
  • Ramos has now staked a claim for a regular starting place for Portugal 
  • Click here for the latest World Cup 2022 news, fixtures, live action and results

Ian Wright and Nigel De Jong have heaped praise on Goncalo Ramos after his stunning hat-trick in Portugal’s 6-1 victory against Switzerland on Tuesday night.

Ramos was a surprise inclusion in Portugal’s starting line-up as he came in for captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who was dropped after reacting angrily to being substituted against South Korea last Friday. 

The 21-year-old made the most of his opportunity by scoring three well-taken goals which included a thunderous strike to get off the mark, and a lovely dinked finish to complete his hat-trick. Speaking on ITV afterwards, Wright hailed Ramos’s faultless performance.  

Goncalo Ramos netted a hat-trick as Portugal thrashed Switzerland at the World Cup

His first goal was an excellent effort with his left foot that flew into the top corner

Ramos was brought into the starting line-up after Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped to the bench

‘It was very impressive, he played very well, scored a hat trick and takes all the headlines and rightly so,’ Wright said.

‘He held the ball up brilliantly but the first goal it set the stall for him.

‘He scores a goal that he’s not meant to score (his first goal). He hits it so well, he’s not meant to score that side of the goal but that kind of set them on the road really.’

Fellow pundit De Jong admitted it was a big call from Fernando Santos to leave Ronaldo out, and this will only have added to the pressure on Ramos’s shoulders. 

Yet De Jong was impressed with how the youngster handled the occasion, and thinks Ramos has a well-rounded game for the highest level.  

Ian Wright was very impressed by Ramos’s performance against Switzerland in the last-16

Nigel De Jong praised Ramos for handling the situation of replacing Ronaldo so well

‘There was a lot of pressure on his shoulders coming in and replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, but now that’s gone,’ De Jong added.

‘What I like about him, he’s two-footed. He can play left and right, his touch with his right foot his finish with his left.’

Santos now faces a big decision ahead of Portugal’s quarter-final against Morocco on Saturday as to whether he should bring Ronaldo back into the team or stick with Ramos.

Ronaldo is the leading goalscorer in men’s international football with 118 goals to his name, and is an iconic figure in his homeland.

However, Ramos has now netted four goals in as many appearances for his country, and appears to be the man in form, which could lead to Santos keeping him in the side and leaving Ronaldo on the bench once more. 




Share this article

Source: Read Full Article