Alphadjo Cisse made history as the 19-year-old scored his career first hat-trick to give Milan a confidence-boosting 4-0 Europa League victory away to RB Salzburg.
The Rossoneri were already feeling the pressure after the disastrous 2-0 home defeat to Benfica, and just one win in the last four Serie A rounds. Alexis Saelemaekers and Matteo Gabbia were long-term absentees, but Ruben Amorim rotated with the first start of the season for Francesco Camarda and Fikayo Tomori. RB Salzburg won 1-0 away to Levski Sofia in the Europa League, welcoming back goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky from an adductor issue, but missing Justin Omoregie, Nikolas Veratschnig, Damir Redzic, Enrique Aguilar and Soumaila Diabaté.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
These teams had met four times before in Europe, with Milan unbeaten after three victories and one stalemate.
Adrien Rabiot was unlucky not to score after nine minutes when he met the Davide Bartesaghi pull-back from eight yards, but it was deflected wide off teammate Camarda.
Milan did take the lead when Omari Hutchinson whipped in a cross with his weaker right foot, finding Alphadjo Cisse to get in front of his marker and nod in from seven yards.
It was nearly 2-0 moments later, as Zawieschitzky rushed off his line to deny Ruben Loftus-Cheek from a Rabiot pass, and a desperate Kevin Boma goal-line clearance prevented Hutchinson turning in the rebound.
Haris Tabakovic had the ball in the net only after it had clearly already crossed the line on the assist, while Bartosz Mazurek drilled wide, but the Rossoneri and Cisse doubled their tally instead.
Bartesaghi did well to volley a Rabiot cross back from the by-line, where Cisse was ready to cushion it over the line first-time from six yards.
Just as RB Salzburg created a big chance with a desperate Koni De Winter block on Tabakovic, Milan went on the counter and scored at the other end.
A long Loftus-Cheek pass sent Rabiot down the left, he rolled it across and Cisse was just about level to side-foot in from a couple of yards, completing his career first hat-trick. At 19 years and 358 days, Cisse becomes the youngest Italian player in history to score a hat-trick in a European match, and the first Milanista to score three in Europe since Pippo Inzaghi against Deportivo La Coruna in September 2002.
Mike Maignan rushed outside his box for a tackle on the quick Edmund Baidoo, but it was so nearly 4-0 when Hutchinson ran onto the inspired Luka Modric pass and cut inside a defender, his finish kept out by the goalkeeper’s trailing boot.
Bartesaghi also tested Zawieschitzky and Christian Pulisic couldn’t keep the header down on a Hutchinson cross, but Ardon Jashari’s high press harassed Mazurek into an error, allowing Goncalo Ramos to score for 4-0.
Milan still managed to end the match down to 10 men, because they were caught out on the counter and Filippo Terracciano shoved Schmid just outside the area for a red card.
RB Salzburg 0-4 Milan
Cisse 15, 32, 49 (M), Goncalo Ramos 72 (M)
Sent off: F Terracciano 84 (M)
Player statistic
| 15' | Alphadjo Cissè (Assist: Omari Hutchinson) | |||
| 21' | Omari Hutchinson | |||
| 32' | Alphadjo Cissè (Assist: Davide Bartesaghi) | |||
| Valentin Zabransky |  |
40' |
| 49' | Alphadjo Cissè (Assist: Adrien Rabiot) | |||
| 72' |  |
Gonçalo Ramos (Assist: Ardon Jashari) | ||
| 83' |  |
Filippo Terracciano |
