Without their usual starters, Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a 4–1 victory over Montpellier, the bottom team in Ligue 1, with Gonçalo Ramos stealing the spotlight by scoring a hat-trick and sending a clear message to Luis Enrique ahead of the Champions League final against Inter.

PSG Rotates Squad With Eyes on the Champions League

With the European final on the horizon, head coach Luis Enrique rested several of his key players including Ousmane Dembélé, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Fabián Ruiz, and Vitinha. The match served as a testing ground for squad rotation, giving the less frequent starters a chance to impress.

Those opportunities will continue in PSG's final league match against Auxerre, although most of the second unit is expected to remain on the bench for the Coupe de France final against Reims. Among all the stand-ins, Gonçalo Ramos stood out the most.

Hat-Trick and a Statement to Luis Enrique

Despite being a backup for much of the season—with just 16 starts in 38 appearances—Gonçalo Ramos made his case for a spot in the starting XI with a brilliant performance. While the opposition was modest, the Portuguese striker showed his hunger and clinical finishing.

The first goal of the match came from Mayulu, who opened the scoring in the 44th minute with a rocket from outside the box after linking up with Warren Zaïre-Emery. Then came Ramos’s show: he scored his first early in the second half from inside the box, converted a penalty in the 59th minute, and completed his hat-trick with a thunderous shot from long range to seal the 1–4 result.

Now sitting on 18 goals across all competitions, Gonçalo Ramos is doing everything he can to earn a role in the high-stakes clash against Inter. His performance, along with that of other backups, proves that competition for places at PSG is alive and well—even when facing a struggling opponent like Montpellier.