Alphadjo Cisse announced himself to European football on Thursday night, scoring a blistering hat-trick inside 49 minutes as AC Milan crushed RB Salzburg 4-0 in the Europa League in Austria. The 19-year-old became the youngest Italian ever to score three goals in a European club competition, and the first Milan player to manage a continental treble since Filippo Inzaghi 24 years ago. It was a performance of breathtaking explosiveness that underlined why head coach Ruben Amorim has placed such faith in the teenager this season.

Milan arrived in Salzburg under pressure after losing their opening Europa League fixture at home to Benfica, and the response was emphatic. Cisse opened the scoring early and never looked back, tormenting the Austrian hosts with his pace, movement and clinical finishing. What made the night even more remarkable was that Milan finished the game with ten men after Filippo Terracciano was shown a straight red card for a professional foul late on, yet still never looked like surrendering their commanding lead. The victory puts the Rossoneri firmly back in contention in their group.

Amorim was full of praise for his young star after the final whistle, though he was careful to balance the acclaim with the demands he expects from training and matches. The coach said Cisse deserved every bit of the praise for the night but stressed that there are still areas of his game to improve, pointing to his enormous potential rather than a finished product. It was the kind of measured assessment that suggests Milan see the teenager as a cornerstone of their future rather than just a one-night sensation.

The hat-trick continues a breakout campaign for Italian youth in European competition this season, and Cisse's achievement echoes down through the decades of Milan's illustrious continental history. To be mentioned alongside Inzaghi, one of the most feared European strikers of his generation, is no small compliment for a player who only recently turned 19. Milan's scouting and youth development staff will take enormous credit, having identified and nurtured a talent who now looks ready to carry the club's famous number in Europe's secondary competition.

Elsewhere in the Europa League, Bayer Leverkusen made it two wins from two with a commanding 4-0 victory at Lech Poznan, where Patrik Schick struck twice from the penalty spot to continue his fine goalscoring form. Olympique Lyonnais edged Crystal Palace 3-2 in a lively contest, while Bournemouth marked their first-ever European home tie with a comfortable 3-0 win over Sturm Graz. Sunderland completed a dramatic comeback to beat Portuguese side Torreense 2-1 in Portugal, with Noah Sadiki volleying home the winner in the 93rd minute after a Granit Xhaka setup, and Juventus also struck late for a 2-1 comeback victory at Celta.

The broader context of a chaotic week in Europe makes Milan's ruthlessness stand out even more. With giants stumbling across the continent — including Inter's collapse in the Champions League on Tuesday — the Rossoneri delivered exactly the kind of statement performance their supporters craved. Milan return to domestic action this weekend before turning their attention back to European commitments, and the transfer speculation swirling around Amorim's midfield plans adds another layer to a season that is gathering real momentum.