AC Milan claimed their first win of the Europa League league phase on Thursday, beating Red Bull Salzburg 4-0 in Austria behind a hat-trick from teenager Alphadjo Cisse, according to 101 Great Goals.
Cisse, at 19 years and 358 days old, became the youngest Italian player to score three goals in a single European competition match. Goncalo Ramos added Milan's fourth goal, and the Italian side finished the match with ten men after Filippo Terracciano was sent off late. The result lifted Milan after a defeat to Benfica in their opening league phase fixture.
Juventus, meanwhile, made it two wins from two with a 2-1 victory at Celta Vigo. Hugo Alvarez put the Spanish hosts ahead before Nick Woltemade, on loan from Newcastle United, equalised after capitalising on a defensive error. Randal Kolo Muani then headed in Andrea Cambiaso's cross in stoppage time to complete the comeback.
Why it matters
The two results keep Milan and Juventus on track in the revamped Europa League league phase, where every point shapes the path to the knockout rounds. For Milan, the win erased the setback of their opening loss and showcased a teenage talent whose record will draw attention across Europe. For Juventus, the late winner preserved a perfect start and underlined the squad's ability to grind out results away from home.
Cisse's milestone also carries weight beyond the club. Italy has produced few forwards of his profile in recent years, and a European treble at his age places him among the youngest scorers of a hat-trick in continental competition. Milan's decision to give him a leading role in Austria suggests the club sees him as more than a squad option.
A mixed night for English and Scottish clubs
Premier League sides had a mixed evening. Sunderland needed a goal in stoppage time to edge Portuguese second-tier club Torreense 2-1, while Bournemouth had a more comfortable night in a 3-0 win over Sturm Graz. Crystal Palace could not complete a clean sweep for English clubs, losing 3-2 away at Lyon.
Celtic, the Scottish champions, were beaten 4-1 at Benfica, a result that leaves them searching for answers early in the competition.
Elsewhere in the league phase, Bayer Leverkusen won 4-0 away at Lech Poznan in Poland. Hoffenheim's difficult start continued with a 3-2 home defeat to Besiktas, leaving the Bundesliga club without a point so far. Marseille also remain pointless after a 1-0 loss at home to Olympiacos.
Rennes came from behind to beat OFI Crete 2-1, with Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal scoring the winner in the 90th minute. In Croatia, Dion Beljo converted a 96th-minute penalty to give Dinamo Zagreb a 1-0 win over Anderlecht. Real Sociedad picked up their first point of the campaign in a 1-1 draw with Union Saint-Gilloise.
Conference League: Monaco, Atalanta and Brighton start with wins
In the Conference League, Paris Brunner scored Monaco's opener and then set up Ansu Fati for the second as the Ligue 1 club began their campaign with a 2-1 win at CSKA Sofia.
Atalanta scored three times in the first half on the way to a 3-1 victory over Pafos, a meeting between two clubs that played Champions League football last season. Brighton and Hove Albion won 4-0 against Kauno Zalgiris.
Mohamed Salah scored in Trabzonspor's 4-2 win at KuPS, but Ajax, the Dutch giants, lost 2-1 at Hajduk Split. Freiburg, runners-up in last season's Europa League, beat Jablonec 3-2. Copenhagen delivered one of the standout results of the opening round of Conference League matches, defeating Braga 3-0.
What to watch
The league phase continues in the coming weeks, with Milan and Juventus both looking to build on winning starts and Cisse's development now a storyline to follow. For the clubs that stumbled — Celtic, Ajax, Hoffenheim and Marseille among them — the next round of fixtures will shape how quickly they can recover.
