Milan, Cisse has already made history: Amorim has found Ramos’s understudy

Having arrived from Verona in January for 8 million plus 2 million in bonuses, Cisse is already a major transfer coup: he can also play as a false nine.

Before tonight, the last AC Milan player to score a hat-trick in European competition was Andrè Silva, who struck three times away to Austria Vienna in the Europa League on 14 September 2017, nine years ago. For a hat-trick by an Italian player, the wait went back to 2002, when Pippo Inzaghi scored three in Deportivo La Coruna-AC Milan, a match that ended 0-4. Cisse managed it against Salzburg: the AC Milan wonderkid took home the match ball and wrote his name into Diavolo's history. He had begun pre-season preparations with doubts following surgery involving the adductor tendon in his right thigh.

Crucial for Amorim

Cisse is no longer just the young talent who arrived from Catanzaro. With disarming ease, he's become a key asset for Amorim and one of the most intriguing figures in his new Milan side. After scoring on his Serie A debut against Torino and finding the net against Juventus at the Stadium, the Treviso-born youngster has made his mark in the Europa League too. His performance showed why: three goals, three different ways of scoring, a gentle yet strong personality and an infectious smile.

Ramos’s deputy

Cisse's knack for being in the right place at the right time sets him apart in the AC Milan squad. His future could lie a few metres further forward, as a striker. Against Salzburg, he showed he can play as a false nine, though Italy Under-21 head coach Silvio Baldini had tried him there first in the perfect victory over Poland on 5 October at the Adriatico in Pescara. Amorim may have found an alternative to give Goncalo Ramos a breather when needed.