Never mind the pressure, never mind the weight of having to replace someone like Cristiano Ronaldo after all the media clamour that erupted following CR7’s departure from the squad. Gonçalo Ramos was Portugal’s man of the match against Denmark, in precisely the role in which Cristiano had always been the undisputed starter.
The Portuguese press recognised this too, particularly 'A Bola', which gave Ramos an 8 in its player ratings and named him the man of the match.
Here is Gonçalo Ramos' assessment after his goal and assist against Denmark, as given by A Bola:
"A shot against the post (12’), an assist (13’) and a goal (25’) within the space of 12 minutes perfectly illustrate the striker’s movement inside the box, but also outside it, as in the 51st minute when he dropped back to recover a ball in the Portuguese penalty area! In the 60th minute, he received a superb pass from Bruno Fernandes but was unable to make the most of it, just as he failed to get the better of Hermansen in their duel in the 62nd minute. Inside the box, he was lethal; outside it, he was an impeccable worker, highly competent across the entire pitch: a true matador every team needs. If Jorge Jesus commands the team, as he had said on the eve of the match, Gonçalo Ramos commanded the game: the true boss of Portugal, with a team-mates capable of serving him on a silver platter. A performance from an absolute leader!"
