Bournemouth delivered a stunning 3-0 victory over AC Milan in the Europa League on Thursday. The win at the Vitality Stadium keeps their perfect record in the competition intact and provides a major confidence boost ahead of a Premier League trip to Manchester United on Sunday 25 October. The club currently sits 15th in the Premier League with six points from seven games, having recorded one win, three draws and three losses.
Justin Kluivert opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the eighth minute after a foul on Antoine Semenyo. The match turned decisively in the 27th minute when AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was sent off for violent conduct after shoving Tyler Adams. Marcus Tavernier then converted the resulting penalty to double the lead before halftime. Amine Adli capped the performance with a superb free-kick in the 84th minute, curling the ball over the wall and into the top corner.
Dominant display
Bournemouth capitalised fully on their numerical advantage, dominating possession with 64 percent and firing 20 shots to Milan's three. The Italian side, who brought on substitute keeper Marco Sportiello, failed to register a single shot on target all evening. The home side's control was reflected in an expected goals figure of 3.18 compared to just 0.17 for the visitors.
This historic result marks Bournemouth's first-ever win in the Europa League proper and makes it three wins from three in the group stage. It extends their current winning run to three matches across all competitions, a stark contrast to their Premier League position of 15th with six points from seven games. Top scorer Marcus Tavernier, who now has four goals this season, was instrumental again from the spot. The team's recent form in the last five matches shows three wins and two losses, and they have scored nine goals while conceding thirteen in the league this season.
The victory sets up a quick turnaround for Bournemouth, who travel to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday in their next fixture. With momentum firmly on their side, the Cherries will aim to translate their European form into Premier League points.
