AC Milan, Juventus, and Atalanta Secure European Wins in Europa League and Conference League

Italian clubs in European competition recovered ground on Wednesday, October 15, 2026, bouncing back from a difficult week in the Champions League with three victories across the Europa League and Conference League. Following the disastrous catastrophic result obtained by Italian sides in the second round of the Champions League group stage where four Italian sides failed to collect a single point—with four defeats that had never previously occurred without a single point—Italian representatives found better fortune in the secondary and tertiary competitions.

Milan and Juventus Secure Crucial Europa League Victories Abroad

Following a difficult round of fixtures in Europe’s premier club tournament where four Italian sides failed to collect a single point, Serie A representatives found better fortune in the secondary and tertiary competitions. Milan traveled away to face Salisburgo in the second matchday of the Europa League single group stage and claimed a commanding 4-0 victory. The Rossoneri established control early through a standout performance from Cisse, who scored in the 15th and 32nd minutes to give the visitors a comfortable halftime advantage. Cisse completed his hat-trick four minutes into the second half before teammate Ramos added a fourth in the 27th minute to seal the 4-0 scoreline. Rohl had warned his side would alter their tactical approach for the fixture, stating Cambieremo atteggiamento tattico rispetto a quello che solitamente adottiamo in Bundesliga, but the Austrian defense ultimately proved vulnerable to Milan’s attacking movement.

In Spain, Juventus secured a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory against Celta Vigo. The hosts took an 18th-minute lead through Hugo Álvarez, but the Bianconeri responded after the break. Woltemade equalized in the 13th minute of the second half, and Kolo Muani netted the winning goal two minutes into stoppage time to capture all three points. While the victory came against a side traditionally difficult for Italian clubs to face on Spanish soil, it added important substance to Juventus’s European campaign following their earlier 5-0 win over NEC.

Atalanta Opens Conference League Campaign With Home Win Over Pafos

Atalanta began their Conference League journey on a positive note in Bergamo, defeating Pafos 3-1. The fixture added a third victory to the Italian tally for the evening, easing some of the pressure created by the earlier struggles of Inter, Napoli, Roma, and Como in the Champions League. While Paolo Condò pointed out that the victories for Milan and Atalanta came against opposition deemed clearly inferior on paper, the combined results provided a much-needed morale boost for Italian football on the continental stage.

Tactical Debate and the Changing Realities of European Football

The stark contrast between Italian struggles in the Champions League and success in the Europa League and Conference League has ignited broader discussion regarding the current competitive level of Serie A clubs. Analyzing the continental fixtures, it was highlighted that Italian teams fell across varied tactical setups—from Inter’s attacking approach and Napoli’s defensive stance to Como’s positional play and Roma’s man-marking system.

With domestic league action resuming following the European midweek fixtures, Italian clubs turn their attention back to domestic championships as they prepare for the upcoming weekend schedule.

More on this story: Atalanta Defeats Pafos 3-1 in Conference League · Italian Clubs Suffer Unprecedented Collapse in Champions League Matchday 2

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