AC Milan got back on track in the Europa League and Alphadjo Cisse had a big hand in that, scoring a hat-trick. Below are the player ratings for the Rossoneri. 

After the defeat to Benfica in the Europa League opener, Ruben Amorim needed a win tonight and that was exactly what he got. The starting eleven decisions paid off and several players got to boost their confidence, albeit not everyone.

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out how we decide the player ratings. From the scale to what affects the rating, we have compiled everything there.

Short Version

🥇 Cisse (8.5 – MOTM): What an evening for the youngster. Not only did he get a goal, he got a hat-trick! And not only did he get a hat-trick, he got a perfect hat-trick! Header, left foot, right foot. Job done. More so than anything, it was a masterclass in being in the right place at the right time. A great trait.

👎 Terracciano (4.5): Well, what can I say? The counter itself wasn’t his fault but he definitely could have handled it a lot better. The push was just a little bit too obvious, making it hard for the referee to avoid picking up the red card, and you could also argue that it wasn’t that necessary.

👔 Amorim (6.5): Pretty spot on I would say. Winning was always the plan but Milan made things easy for themselves, which certainly wasn’t a given before the game. The tactics deserve some praise in that sense. The starting eleven choices also proved to be the right ones, from Tomori to Hutchinson and Cisse.

Starting XI

Maignan (7): While he wasn’t called into action that much, with a mere three shots on target for Salzburg, we got to see a fantastic sliding challenge from the Frenchman. He was very good with his feet throughout the game and definitely deserved the clean sheet.

Tomori (6): Considering that it was his first appearance of the season, it was very solid, perhaps even bordering on very good. He showed off his pace on a few occasions and also got out of some tight situations with ‘smartness’, showing Amorim that he has been around the block.

De Winter (6.5): Gabbia’s injury is a great shame and certainly not ideal, but we have to say that De Winter has made that central position his anyway. He just continues to be very composed and calm in his defending, while showing off with some last-ditch tackles too.

Pavlovic (6): The Serbian was beaten on a few occasions and his passing wasn’t always great, but he put in a good shift overall. It will be interesting to see if he can also get some rest, perhaps with Diawara replacing him more often.

Hutchinson (7): The Nottingham loanee is rapid, that’s for sure. He got a lovely assist for Cisse’s first goal and was then also involved in the second, making a good run whilst laying off the ball to Rabiot. I liked his performance and the X-factor he added to that right flank.

Jashari (6): There were a couple of really shady moments from him, losing the ball once and sending a dangerous pass into Milan’s box another time. However, and hear me out here, he assisted the fourth goal after great pressing and always seemed to be on the move. Even in the dying minutes when Milan were down a man, working hard until the very end. Enough for a 6, in other words.

Rabiot (7.5): He ran the show when he was on the pitch, dictating the tempo, telling his teammates where to go and always ensuring his own availability. The cross to Bartesaghi before the second goal was perfect and he then assisted the third himself. It just looks so effortless from him sometimes and I love to see that.

Bartesaghi (7): This was definitely more of the ‘breakthrough Bartesaghi’ that we fell in love with last season. He was constantly on the move on the left flank, taking the right runs, and had some quality on the ball. The assist for Cisse showed that and defensively, he was much better as well. Let’s see if he can continue like this against better opponents.

Loftus-Cheek (6): He could have done better in attack, especially on that 1v1, but I think he did important work in the defensive phase tonight. He often helped stop Salzburg’s plays in the final third and also won the ball back on some counters with nice tackles. Not to mention that he helped set up the third goal.

Cisse (8.5 – MOTM): What an evening for the youngster. Not only did he get a goal, he got a hat-trick! And not only did he get a hat-trick, he got a perfect hat-trick! Header, left foot, right foot. Job done. More so than anything, it was a masterclass in being in the right place at the right time. A great trait.

Camarda (5): Unfortunately, unlike Cisse, he didn’t take the chance tonight. His performance was riddled with poor control and positioning, while his lack of pace was highlighted more than once. Forget and reset.

Substitutes

Modric (6): A few bad moments and some good ones. What springs to mind for me was that lovely one-touch pass to Pulisic on the counter, but he also wasn’t always brilliant in possession (or not as sharp as we are used to, perhaps).

Pulisic (6): A couple of half-chances for him, but above all, I think he injected some energy into the game. His ability to control some ‘loose balls’ to kill any attempted momentum for Salzburg was also important.

Ramos (6.5): It’s a gifted goal, really, but he provided the finish and broke his goal drought. That deserves a little bit more ratings-wise as far as I’m concerned. Let’s hope that he can build on it.

Terracciano (4.5): Well, what can I say? The counter itself wasn’t his fault but he definitely could have handled it a lot better. The push was just a little bit too obvious, making it hard for the referee to avoid picking up the red card, and you could also argue that it wasn’t that necessary.

Diawara (N/A): I didn’t see enough to give him a rating.

The manager

Amorim (6.5): Pretty spot on I would say. Winning was always the plan but Milan made things easy for themselves, which certainly wasn’t a given before the game. The tactics deserve some praise in that sense. The starting eleven choices also proved to be the right ones, from Tomori to Hutchinson and Cisse.