There are goals worth three points, and then there are goals that can define an entire summer. The one Gonçalo Ramos scored in Oslo belongs to the second category. It is not so much about the beauty of the finish, although the chipped effort had a certain elegance. What matters is the weight he was carrying: a month of silence, a No. 9 shirt that forgives nothing in Milan, and a price tag that appears beneath his name every Sunday like a caption.
Gonçalo Ramos and the chip in Oslo
It was a goal born of patience. At the start of the second half, the Milan striker pounced on a poor clearance from Nyland and lifted the ball over him with a delicate chip. It was the 54th minute, just three minutes after Haaland had equalised. Portugal won 2-1 in Norway, and the decisive goal came from a striker who has struggled to find the net in Rossoneri colours, the kind of sudden breakthrough that feels as unlikely, and as satisfying, as landing a big win on a Rakin Bacon slot machine after a dry run.
The evening could have been even more productive. In the 59th minute, Ramos dribbled past the Scandinavian goalkeeper, but his second goal was ruled out by VAR because his heel was slightly beyond the last Norwegian defender. Then came a detail that seems tailor-made for anyone following Milan. Shortly after the 1-2, a deflected Leão shot struck the crossbar and Ramos missed the tap-in from a few yards out. The ball bounced between Milan's past, now in Istanbul, and its present, which still cannot quite complete the circle. If you are looking for a metaphor for this Milan season so far, there it is.
Once again in Cristiano Ronaldo's place
There is an echo here worth listening to. Jorge Jesus named him in the starting XI in a 4-2-3-1 in place of Cristiano Ronaldo. It had happened before, in another life. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, in December that year, Fernando Santos left CR7 on the bench against Switzerland and a young man from Olhão responded with a hat-trick. When Portugal need him, they seem to know where to find him. Now Milan have to learn the same lesson. The Oslo goal was his 12th in 29 appearances for the national team, a ratio that, for now, remains a distant dream in Milan.
The weight of €74 million
The Rossoneri context is another story. Ramos arrived from PSG this summer for around €74 million, making him the most expensive signing in the club's history. So far, he has scored just once in the league, against Venezia on 28 August. The numbers tell the story of a hard-working striker who remains too far from the penalty area. In his most recent appearances, he has consistently been the player covering the most ground, but his involvement in the final phase has been limited. Amorim's team's struggles have played their part too, although there were signs of improvement against Lecce. He runs a lot, touches the ball too little. It is the paradox of strikers who work for a system that is still being built.
He knows it, and after the match he put it in his own way. He described the goal as a “demonstration of my work”, emphasising that his contribution cannot be measured only in goals. He added that scoring always gives you confidence, whether you start or come off the bench, and that what matters most is getting minutes and feeling part of the group. Measured words from a professional. But Italian football, and Milan in particular, knows only one language when it comes to judging a No. 9.
The striker Amorim needs
This is where the Oslo goal becomes a starting point. Amorim's Milan are unbeaten after five league games, with three wins and two draws, and have Serie A's third-best attack with 10 goals. But those goals have been scored by others, beginning with Diego Moreira. In the Portuguese coach's football, built around high pressing and playing out from the back, the centre-forward is the first defender and the final link in the attacking move. Ramos has already shown that he can do the first part, as pointed out via Milan Press. The second is what Milan are waiting for, and October, when the players return from the international break, could already prove decisive across Serie A and Europe.
From Olhão to San Siro
Olhão is a fishing port in the Algarve. Its people know the value of patience and understand that the sea gives nothing back to those in a hurry. Gonçalo Ramos comes from there. In Oslo, he finally produced his first meaningful goal after weeks of stagnant waters. Getting back on track is one thing; taking hold of Milan is another. He will need goals at San Siro, one after another, until the fiure beneath his name stops being a question.
