'We're confident': Goncalo Ramos speaks ahead of Borussia Dortmund tie
01/05/2024 02:14
Paris Saint-Germain forward Goncalo Ramos (22) spoke to the press ahead of Wednesday night’s UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg in Dortmund.
The Portuguese, without a goal in this season’s competition thus far, spoke of the team mentality present in this current iteration of PSG:
“We are confident. We have worked hard this season, we are ready. We have already played them twice, we know them well and we believe in our qualities. We are calm and confident for tomorrow’s game. Whether I start? It’s not a question for me, I work everyday to be a starter, I am always ready. You saw it last weekend, I am always ready to enter.
At the start, I didn’t play all that much and it was a difficult period. I needed time to adapt, it was difficult. I worked very hard and now I’m confident and I play. We are here to win, we have a good chance to do it. At this stage, it’s 25%. If we make the final, it’ll be 50%. We believe in our team, we are ready to go and win this title. “
PSG will have to contend with Dortmund’s famous Yellow Wall, the stand where 25,000 of Dortmund’s hardcore supporters congregate to produce one of the best atmospheres in Europe. Whilst full of respect for it, Ramos was relaxed about the possibility:
“Most of us have already played in front of the wall. It’s always special, always difficult, but teams like us have to be ready to play in these kinds of stadiums. We have to be able to play in these atmospheres if we want to win things. Certain players, like Mbappé, Marquinhos and Danilo Pereira help us to build this confidence. We know what we have to do to overcome this challenge.”
One particular PSG player will be in for a frosty reception on Wednesday night. Ousmane Dembélé returns to Signal Iduna Park seven years after his acrimonious departure in the summer of 2017, and can be sure to expect a glacial reception from the home crowd, something that, according to Ramos, won’t phase him:
“He’s calm, confident, reserved. I hope he will play in the same way as he did in Barcelona and I hope he can decide the match.”
