Goncalo Ramos hat-trick helps Paris St Germain return to winning ways in Ligue 1

Goncalo Ramos pushed his claims for a starting berth in the Champions League final by scoring a hat-trick as a second-string Paris St Germain brushed aside Montpellier 4-1.

The Portuguese has been largely used off the bench this season, but took his chance at the Stade de la Mosson after teenage prodigy Senny Mayulu had opened the scoring for PSG a minute before half-time.

Ramos bagged a second-half treble, his second goal coming from the penalty spot, as Luis Enrique’s side ended a three-game winless run in Ligue 1, including two successive defeats since being crowned champions.

With the domestic league title gained, PSG’s eyes are on the top prize in Europe and they secured their place in the showpiece in three weeks’ time after beating Arsenal in the semi-final in midweek.

Luis Enrique made nine changes, with only Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola retaining their places in the starting XI, against a Montpellier side who are guaranteed to be playing in Ligue 2 next season.

The champions were given a couple of scares early on as Montpellier started brightly, with Tanguy Coulibaly and Joris Chotard drawing excellent saves from back-up goalkeeper Arnau Tenas.

The visitors gradually grew into the contest, though, and Ramos saw his effort from distance saved, while Barcola rattled against the crossbar following Tenas’ long ball forward just after the half-hour.

With half-time approaching, PSG would not be denied as Mayulu took advantage of a favourable deflection from team-mate Warren Zaire-Emery to rifle emphatically into the top corner.

A pass intended for Zaire-Emery was intercepted, instead ricocheting off the back of his legs and falling kindly back to 18-year-old Mayulu, who left Benjamin Lecomte no chance with the finish.

The visitors got another fortuitous deflection four minutes after the resumption as Ramos’ cool side-footed finish from Ibrahim Mbaye’s clever cutback took a touch off a Montpellier defender before going in.

Ramos did not need a stray boot for his second after Barcola had been upended in the area by Jordan Ferri, as the striker dispatched the resultant 59th-minute penalty for his second and his side’s third.

Ferri made partial amends by teeing up Coulibaly for a consolation goal, with the former PSG academy product skipping past Lucas Beraldo and firing low beyond Tenas in the 64th minute.

Just moments later, though, and PSG regained their three-goal cushion with Ramos bagging his hat-trick in scintillating fashion, turning and thundering a shot from the edge of the box in off the crossbar.

Mbaye missed the chance to add extra gloss to the scoreline after he was denied by Lecomte, while Wahbi Khazri spurned a couple of opportunities late on to pull another one back for Montpellier.