19-year-old Alphadjo Cisse says that he is more pleased with Milan’s 4-0 victory against RB Salzburg in the Europa League on Thursday night than he was with his match-winning hat-trick: ‘The most important thing today was to win, we’re very happy’.

Cisse became the youngest Italian player to score a hat-trick in a major European competition with his three goals, all of which came before the 50th minute, in an eventual 4-0 win over RB Salzburg in Austria on Thursday evening.

SALZBURG, AUSTRIA – OCTOBER 15: Alphadjo Cisse of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammates during the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD2 match between FC Salzburg and AC Milan at Stadion Salzburg on October 15, 2026 in Salzburg, Austria. (Photo by Jasmin Walter/Getty Images)

It was a perfect hat-trick, too: One off his left, one off his right and one off his head.

You can see how the action from Thursday night’s Europa League and Conference League matches unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

This was the first hat-trick of Cisse’s professional career and the first scored by a Milan player in Europe since Pippo Inzaghi all the way back in October 2002. Still, he insists that the collective result is more important than the individual.

SALZBURG, AUSTRIA – OCTOBER 15: Alphadjo Cisse of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s third goal and his hat-trick goal with teammate Davide Bartesaghi during the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD2 match between FC Salzburg and AC Milan at Stadion Salzburg on October 15, 2026 in Salzburg, Austria. (Photo by Jasmin Walter/Getty Images)

“It’s something that takes a back seat, the most important thing today was to win and we’re very happy,” Cisse told Sky after full-time on Thursday.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Сиссе: «Хет-трик «Милана» отошёл на второй план, самым важным было победить»" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Match Previews metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

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