Bournemouth Stun 10-Man AC Milan 3-0 to Keep Perfect Europa League Start Alive

BOURNEMOUTH, England — The rain hammered the Vitality Stadium on Thursday night, and by the time it eased, AFC Bournemouth had pulled off the most famous result in the club's history. In only their second European home game, Marco Rose's Cherries swept aside seven-time European champions AC Milan 3-0 in the UEFA Europa League league phase, extending their perfect start to three wins from three on their European debut.

Justin Kluivert's eighth-minute penalty — won when Evanilson's header struck the raised hand of Koni De Winter, spotted after a VAR review — broke the deadlock. On 28 minutes came the night's defining moment: Milan captain Mike Maignan, defending a corner, pushed both hands forcefully into Tyler Adams' face. After another VAR check, the goalkeeper was shown a straight red card and a second penalty was awarded; Marcus Tavernier beat substitute goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani from the spot in the 32nd minute. Substitute Amine Adli completed the rout with a curling 25-yard free-kick in the 84th.

The dismissal was historic in its own right: Maignan became the first AC Milan goalkeeper ever to be sent off in a major European match. Milan were already being outplayed before they lost a man, and from there the outcome never looked in doubt.

A giant pre-match tifo in the North Stand had asked: "How did we end up here?" It was a fair question. Eighteen years ago Bournemouth began a League Two campaign on minus 17 points amid crippling financial trouble. Last season's sixth-place Premier League finish under Andoni Iraola — after a club-record 18-match unbeaten run — delivered this first European campaign, and Rose, who succeeded Iraola in April, watched his side justify their tag as pre-season favourites.

Bournemouth dominated from the first whistle. Inside four minutes Evanilson had crossed, Kluivert had missed it and Ben Gannon-Doak had seen a shot blocked. A minute later Evanilson glanced a header wide — only for the VAR review to confirm it had touched De Winter's raised arm. Kluivert coolly sent Maignan the wrong way, and his opener carried family symbolism: he scored against Milan 31 years and 151 days after his father Patrick netted the winner against the Rossoneri in the 1995 Champions League final for Ajax.

So dominant were the Cherries that some of their first-half passing drew shouts of "ole", and Tavernier whipped a free-kick inches wide before Maignan's rush of blood. The goalkeeper looked to shove Adams away as a corner swung in but did so with two forceful hands directly to the face — an offence VAR did not forgive. Tavernier dispatched the second penalty past the newly introduced Torriani, and Bournemouth had their second European home victory sealed before half-time.

With the game won, Rose emptied his bench on the hour, but there was a sour note when Alex Toth, on for Kluivert, limped off injured 16 minutes later. Playing in white, Milan barely threatened; their best moment came when Sankhoun Diawara's cross-shot landed on the roof of Michele Di Gregorio's net. Torriani produced an excellent late fingertip save to deny Rayan a fourth, but by then Adli had whipped his free-kick through a disintegrating Milan wall.

"It means a lot. We came off two victories, so that gave us a good feeling for this game," Kluivert told TNT Sports. "We trust ourselves. It doesn't matter who we play against. We know what we're capable of, and I think we showed that today."

Rose was proud but measured: "A big night for us. Really proud of my lads — the way they did it was brilliant from the first minute until the last minute. It suits us to stay humble. We know we are good. We know if we have the whole squad we can compete with everyone everywhere."

For Milan, it was a second European defeat after the matchday-one home loss to Benfica. "There was no game after 20 minutes," said coach Ruben Amorim. "We need to have 11 players on the pitch all the time. The free-kick killed the game. It was a hard night for us, a difficult night in every aspect." It was a miserable return to England for the former Manchester United boss, who has now failed to beat Bournemouth in five attempts.

Bournemouth are the first English club since Sunderland in 1973-74 to win their first three fixtures in major European competition, and no side had beaten Milan by three goals in Europe since Paris Saint-Germain in October 2023. With nine points from nine, the Cherries sit third in the league-phase table. They had opened with a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad and beaten Sturm Graz 3-0 at home.

Milan, who handed season debuts to Torriani and Comotto, must now reset: Ferencvaros visit San Siro next, then Olympiacos and Sunderland. Bournemouth travel to Sparta Prague on 5 November and Celta Vigo on 26 November.

Elsewhere on matchday three, Celtic lost 2-1 at home to Celta Vigo; Juventus were held 2-2 by Rennes after a late winner was ruled out for marginal offside; Real Sociedad thrashed Lillestrom 6-0; Jonas Hofmann's double earned Bayer Leverkusen a 2-0 win at OFI Crete; and Crystal Palace drew 2-2 with Beskitas in Istanbul days after their 5-0 humbling by Brighton.

From minus 17 to three from three in Europe. The tifo asked how. On this evidence, the answer is: like this.