Bournemouth's first-ever European home game ended in a famous victory, as Evanilson's header, a goal from substitute Rayan and a stoppage-time Alvaro Rodriguez penalty sealed a commanding 3-0 Europa League win over Sturm Graz at the Vitality Stadium.
The Cherries made it two wins from two in the league phase with a performance that was every bit as dominant as the scoreline suggests. Bournemouth controlled 62 per cent of the ball and outshot the Austrian visitors 24 to six, with eight efforts on target to Sturm Graz's one, on a night when the full match statistics underlined the gulf between the sides — see the Sky Sports match page for the complete numbers. It was the perfect way to mark a historic occasion, in the club's first competitive meeting with Sturm and their first European fixture in front of their own supporters.
Evanilson finally breaks through
Bournemouth's breakthrough took time to arrive, but it always felt inevitable. The hosts thought they had scored midway through the first half when a corner caused chaos in the Graz box and the ball was bundled over the line, only for the referee to rule it out for handball. Marcus Tavernier then went even closer, collecting a loose pass around 25 yards out and crashing a left-footed strike against the outside of the post with goalkeeper Daniil Khudyakov beaten.
Two minutes before half-time, the pressure told. Captain Adam Smith delivered from the right and Evanilson rose to head home the opener, sending the Vitality Stadium into raptures. The Brazilian striker had earlier been booked for a clumsy forward's challenge, but he ended the half as the hero, and Bournemouth's 1-0 lead at the interval was the least their dominance deserved. Tyler Adams had also produced a vital recovery run in the first half, chasing down Belmin Beganovic as the Sturm forward threatened to break clear.
Rayan seals it from the bench
Sturm Graz, who had drawn 0-0 with Rennes on matchday one, offered little in response after the break. Their only shot on target all evening never seriously troubled Djordje Petrovic, and Bournemouth's back line, led by Bafode Diakite and Antonio Silva, dealt comfortably with everything the visitors attempted. Fabio Ingolitsch's side made changes, including Oumar Diakite for Beganovic, but the pattern of the game never changed.
The decisive moment came from Bournemouth's own bench. A triple substitution on 70 minutes sent on Justin Kluivert, Ryan Christie and Rayan, and just six minutes later Rayan — on for Tavernier — struck the second goal to kill the contest. It was a goal that rewarded the manager's timing and highlighted the depth now available to the Cherries, with fresh legs stretching a tiring Graz defence that had spent most of the night chasing the ball.
Rodriguez penalty caps the perfect night
There was still time for a flourish. Deep into stoppage time Bournemouth were awarded a penalty, and Alvaro Rodriguez, who had partnered Evanilson in attack all evening and caused the visiting defence problems throughout, stepped up to convert it and complete the scoring at 3-0. There were no red cards in a competitive but well-controlled game refereed by Jerome Brisard, with three yellow cards shown to each side.
So what does it mean?
Bournemouth sit on a perfect six points from two games, following their 2-1 win at Real Sociedad on matchday one, and are already in a strong position in the league phase — the updated standings and the full schedule for the English clubs are tracked by NBC Sports. The reward, and the test, comes quickly: AC Milan visit the Vitality Stadium on matchday three next Thursday, a glamour tie that would have been unthinkable for this club not long ago. Elsewhere on a busy Europa League night, Lyon's 3-2 win over Crystal Palace showed how fine the margins can be — Bournemouth, by contrast, never gave Sturm a foothold.
The contrast with domestic form is striking. Bournemouth are still searching for a first Premier League win this season and were beaten 5-1 at Chelsea last weekend, yet in Europe they look confident, organised and ruthless. They did it, too, without injured midfielder Alex Scott, whose future remains a talking point after Bournemouth opened the door to an £80m January sale. For Sturm Graz, stuck on one point and facing the Graz derby this weekend, a difficult away record in Europe continues to haunt them.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This was not a lucky smash-and-grab — it was a statement. Bournemouth did not just win their first European home game, they owned it, from Smith's assist to the bench deciding the contest. If they can carry this belief into the Premier League, their season turns here; and with Milan coming to Dorset next week, nobody on the south coast will be fearing anyone. The verdict: Bournemouth belong in this competition.
Can Bournemouth beat AC Milan next week and make it three from three — or will the Italians end the fairytale? Let us know in the comments.
