A birthday in Bournemouth. Put like that, it does not sound like an appealing prospect, especially for a 20-year-old. But if the young man is Alphadjo Cisse, things change. Milan's young talent will blow out his candles at the Vitality Stadium, where the Rossoneri will be looking for important points tomorrow to secure direct qualification for the Europa League round of 16. And so Alpha will want to treat himself to another magical night like the one a week ago in Salzburg, when he scored no fewer than a hat-trick against the Austrians. The first of his career.
Does Cisse prefer the Cup?
Cisse was praised by Ruben Amorim and, naturally, by all the critics. In the following league match (at San Siro against Atalanta) however, he did not set foot on the pitch. Almost as if the Portuguese coach had accepted Fabio Capello's advice not to put too much pressure on the youngster from Treviso. It rarely happens that the scorer of a hat-trick then remains watching his teammates for 90 minutes in an important match. But, as we know, young players also need to be managed. Moreover, the numbers tell the story of a Cisse who is much more comfortable on European nights. Of course, the number of matches is still too small to constitute proof. We are still dealing with indications, but in two Cup matches Alpha has taken more than twice as many shots as in the league (3 compared to 1.4), scoring a goal every 39 minutes (in Serie A, he averages one every 121 and a half minutes).
Away from home
Another particular feature of Cisse is the distribution of his goals. In his first seven matches with Milan, young Alpha has scored five goals. None, however, at San Siro, all away from home. That is why Amorim is counting on him for the trip to Bournemouth, in the south of England, against a team that is struggling in the Premier League but has recorded two wins from two in Europe and is also one of the favourites to win the competition according to the bookmakers. But why do the former Catanzaro player's performances and attacking threat rise so significantly in Cup matches and away from home? One reason may be purely tactical: Milan find more space away from home, especially against European opponents, who are less accustomed to sitting back defensively than Italian teams, as relayed via La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
Head-to-head
Marco Rose's Bournemouth will certainly also try to take control of the match, particularly at their own stadium, where they like to attack and take risks. Cisse will have to be ready to punish the English side's exuberance to celebrate his birthday in style. He will have to do so in the presence of his Brazilian counterpart, Rayan, whom Milan had scouted in the past before the Cherries submitted the decisive offer in January. Curiously, this happened more or less during the same weeks in which the Diavolo secured Alpha from Verona, while nevertheless leaving him on loan at Catanzaro for six months. Rayan immediately established himself in England, also earning a ticket to the World Cup with Brazil, while Cisse was getting injured in Serie B. Same age, different paths. Today, however, Bournemouth's Brazilian is not going through a particularly good spell in the Premier League (zero goals in seven matchdays), although in Europe he has scored twice in two appearances. He, too, is a Cup player, and someone Milan will have to pay particular attention to.
Future
Coach Rose will also have to prepare for the confrontation with Cisse, for whom the Diavolo already have a new contract ready, with an appropriate salary adjustment. Beyond the financial aspect, however, Alpha's mission is to fully convince Amorim to consider him an indispensable starter. For example, the Portuguese coach has never started the new Rossoneri star alongside Christian Pulisic behind a centre-forward, almost as if the two were necessarily alternatives to one another. Sooner or later, the time will come to see them on the pitch together, especially if Cisse continues to surprise everyone. Starting tomorrow against Bournemouth.
