The call-up to the national team that arrived on Thursday afternoon had perhaps affected him, although against Ferencvaros the whole of Milan had completely failed to show up. However, after the poor performance in the Europa League, yesterday afternoon Alphadjo Cisse added Marassi to his collection of stadiums in which he has struck during this first extraordinary part of the season, which now sees him on 8 goals between Serie A (5) and Europe (3) in thirteen appearances, nine of them as a starter.
At Milan, the same numbers, 8 goals in the first thirteen matches in the red-and-black shirt, were achieved by a certain Shevchenko (only Prati, with 10, and Balotelli, with 12, did better). Easy with the comparisons, of course, but the 20-year-old from Treviso knows what he is doing.
After scoring away against Torino, Juventus and Salzburg, Cisse therefore also found the net against Genoa, breaking the deadlock in the 13th minute of a match that Milan attacked in the right way, also taking advantage of the glaring errors made by De Rossi's team when building play (first Vasquez, then Traoré), and bringing home a 2-1 victory, with Pulisic doubling the lead (19th minute) and a breathless finish after Ellertsson's goal in the 88th minute.
Victory, and above all a performance full of character, however, are the signals that Ruben Amorim (and Gerry Cardinale, who remained in the United States and will return after the break) were expecting after the debacle against Ferencvaros.
The Rossoneri players, particularly the veterans (Modric and Rabiot drove the team forward until the 95th minute) responded, with Milan thus moving up to 24 points, fourth in the standings, firmly in the Champions League places and five points behind Lazio, who are first with 29.
Therefore, that dream of the league title proclaimed first and foremost by Cardinale can continue to survive. But above all, yesterday's match can only lead to a conclusion that confirms the doubts expressed by Amorim after the Europa League, namely that, at present, this Milan, this squad, can compete at a certain level in only one competition.
With the starters, Milan are a team with their own identity and on an upward trajectory, capable (in short) of fighting for a place in the sun. When the Portuguese coach brings in, by choice or because of forced absences, many second-string players, the level drops. That is inevitable, writes the Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport today.
Certainly, Alpha Cisse is the player who, in these first four months of the season, has broadened the range of options available to Amorim.
Having started quietly, coming off a Serie B season and a serious injury, Cisse is now another starter. In fact, it will become increasingly difficult to leave him out.
With the 8 goals he has scored, Cisse is one of only three players born in 2006 or later in Europe's five major leagues to have scored 8 or more goals across all competitions, alongside Monaco's Paris Brunner (8) and, of course, Lamine Yamal (13).
Last night, Cisse arrived at Coverciano and today he will make himself available to Mancini. On Thursday, the national team will play against France at San Siro, his stadium, where he scored a brace against Bologna, but who knows whether the national team coach will use him above all next Sunday in Brussels against Belgium.
After all, the only goal he scored with the Under-21 national team was, of course, scored away from home, in Armenia, a decisive goal for victory and qualification for the European Championship.
"I am very happy with this call-up, I want to show my qualities, to show that I can belong in that group, and I will try, as always, to give my maximum," Cisse said after the match.
"Did I expect this start to the season? No, but I think I can do better than this. I try to seize the opportunities the coach gives me, and then, whether I score or not, the important thing is to win. If I then score a goal, I am only happy. A start like Shevchenko's? There is nothing to comment on. Against Genoa we had the right attitude, we showed it and we brought home the match. Now we will have to understand properly what is not working in other situations."
