A Bournemouth fan described the club's record-breaking trip to Prague as a 'pinch me moment' following a historic European victory. The Cherries beat Sparta Prague 3-1 last Thursday in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Matt, who traveled to the Czech capital with his son Felix, was among the more than 1,000 away fans who witnessed the win. "Whatever happens, pinch me moment, and we're just happy to be here," he said. The 1,149-kilometer journey to the Czech Republic surpassed the previous record for a Bournemouth away trip in Europe, which was set by a September visit to Real Sociedad in Spain. Matt acknowledged the difficulty of the task beforehand, saying, "I think it will be a tough game, we're in it away from home.
Match secures perfect record
The victory, secured with goals from Tyler Adams, Francisco Evanilson and Rayan, was Bournemouth's seventh consecutive win in all competitions. It came against a Sparta side that had kept six straight clean sheets in their domestic league and was reduced to ten men after defender Tobias Guddal was sent off for a second yellow card just before half-time. Adams equalized early in the second half before Evanilson and Rayan sealed the win late on. Lewis Cook had earlier hit the post for Bournemouth, while Ebrima Singhateh scored for the hosts.
Manager Marco Rose had praised Prague as a "really really nice town" ahead of the fixture and stated his team wanted to "present them a win." The result means Bournemouth have won all five of their European matches this season, securing top spot in their group with one game remaining. This continental success complements their solid Premier League form, where they sit eighth in the standings with 12 points from nine games.
The team's current five-game winning run across all competitions, which includes a 3-0 victory over AC Milan, suggests the supporters' faith is well-placed. Bournemouth's next European assignment in the knockout phase will be confirmed following the conclusion of the group stage. The club's next fixture is a Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The report in full is at bbc.co.uk
