Archive: Bournemouth and West Ham before their match at the Vitality Stadium, 12 August 2023. Photo: Egghead06 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and cropped for display; the photograph remains under the same licence.
Bournemouth have made winning in Europe look rather more straightforward than winning in the Premier League. Now AC Milan come to the Vitality Stadium, with the Cherries chasing a third straight Europa League victory and a night that would make an already impressive start even better.
A 2–1 win at Real Sociedad and a 3–0 home victory over Sturm Graz have brought six points from six. Milan have three, following defeat by Benfica and a convincing response in Salzburg. Bournemouth have earned their head start; Thursday will test how far they can take it.
The teams meet at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday 22 October, with kick-off at 8pm BST.
Two home wins have changed the mood
Bournemouth's European results have been a welcome contrast to a difficult league opening. They went six Premier League games without a win before beating Sunderland 2–0 on Sunday, their first league victory of the season.
That result followed the win over Sturm Graz three days earlier. Two home games, five goals scored and none conceded: the immediate build-up to Milan's visit has given supporters much more to enjoy than the 5–1 defeat at Chelsea earlier this month.
The challenge now is to carry those performances into another competition without letting the occasion overwhelm the football. Bournemouth have already won away in Spain and kept a clean sheet at home in Europe. This is a chance to build on something tangible, not simply admire the visitors.
Milan arrive with goals and momentum
Milan's European campaign began with a 2–0 home defeat by Benfica, but their next trip brought a 4–0 win at Salzburg. On Sunday they beat Atalanta 3–2 in Serie A, taking their tally to seven goals across their latest two matches.
That is a different test from simply trying to extend Bournemouth's run of clean sheets. The Cherries have shut out Sturm Graz and Sunderland in succession; Milan have just shown they can win both comfortably and in a game where they concede twice.
Rúben Amorim also returns to England as Milan's manager. Speaking at Wednesday's pre-match press conference, he praised Bournemouth's quality, tempo and ability in one-on-one situations, while stressing that his focus was on the current job rather than his time at Manchester United.
More than a memorable name on the fixture list
For Bournemouth, victory would mean nine points from their opening three European games. For Milan, a win would bring them level with their hosts on six. The evening has a clear competitive edge as well as the appeal of the occasion.
Bournemouth's next European assignment is away to Sparta Prague on 5 November. First comes the chance to turn two good home results into a third, against opponents who have found their scoring touch. Keeping Milan quiet would make this a particularly satisfying week at the Vitality.
Follow tonight's game in the match centre, or find the next games and completed scores through our fixture schedule and latest results.
Sources: Milan's pre-match press conference and UEFA's Bournemouth fixtures. Photograph is archive, not from tonight's match.
