Sergio Ramos marked his first Paris Saint Germain goal in his side’s 4-0 win over Reims Stadiumwhich was the fourth French team the Spanish centre-back has faced this season in Ligue 1.
The 180-time Spain international returned to action to make his debut in PSG3-1 away win Saint Etiennebut suffered an injury setback and played again three weeks later when he was sent off in a 1-1 draw with Lorient.
Ramos was in the starting lineup against Reims on Sunday and eventually managed to score his first-ever goal for the Ligue 1 side in the 62nd minute of the duel.
Fourth oldest player to score his first Ligue 1 goal
Ramos became the fourth oldest player (35 years and 299 days) to score his first Ligue 1 goal after Ricardo Carvalho (37 years and 236 days), Manfred Kaltz (36 years and 345 days) and Oceano (36 years and 101 days).
A return before Real Madrid
Ramos expressed his joy at returning to the starting lineup with a goal like PSG prepare for the knockout stages of the Champions League with real Madrid.
“I’m happy to have played the 90 minutes and to have scored my first goal for PSG” Ramos said after the game.
“I hope many more will come. I have been training normally with the group for three weeks. The most important thing is to get back into the rhythm and get back to everyday life to continue improving physically and giving my best version.
“We are fighting for Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Champions League. It’s the best time to get in shape. I’m very happy because I’ve been away from the pitch for a long time.”
PSG coach Pochettino admitted that Ramos is gradually getting into shape and stressed that it was important for him to be in shape.
“Ramos played a good game,” said Pochettino.
“It’s always important to score, just as it is for [Marco] Verratti. We have three great central defenders who can play together or rotate. Sergio is improving.
“It’s normal for this to happen when a player has training continuity and can rack up minutes. Without a doubt, he’s gaining momentum.”
French press praises Ramos
The team gave Ramos the second best rating – 6/10 – among PSG players behind Verrattiwhich scored an 8/10.
The French newspaper also praised his defense awareness, but commented Ramos‘ the physical decline which has made its appearance on certain occasions.
Meanwhile, Le Parisien salutes Ramos‘ attitude on the pitch, but stressed that he had yet to return to his best form.
