Bournemouth’s Europa League win over AC Milan ended 3-0 on Thursday, a result built entirely on set pieces and shaped by a first-half red card to Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. The victory marked Bournemouth’s third straight win in the competition, moving the club to six points from six in the group table.
Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier each converted penalties before Amine Adli added a late free kick to complete the scoring, according to ESPN. All three goals came from dead-ball situations, a detail that stood out given Milan’s form heading into the match.
The Main Development: Three Set-Piece Goals And A Red Card
Maignan was sent off in the 27th minute after pushing his hand into Tyler Adams’ face during a corner, with no attempt to play the ball, per Yahoo Sports. A VAR review confirmed the straight red card, leaving Milan to play more than an hour a man down.
Kluivert and Tavernier each scored from the penalty spot before Adli settled the result with a free kick late in the match. The clean sweep of set-piece goals underscored how much the numerical disadvantage shaped the outcome once Maignan left the field.
What The Bournemouth Europa League Win Means
The result pushed Bournemouth to three consecutive wins in the competition and six points from as many available, keeping manager Marco Rose’s side perfect in group play. It follows earlier wins away at Real Sociedad by a 2-1 score and at home against Sturm Graz by 3-0.
The contrast with Bournemouth’s domestic campaign has been stark. Rose’s team faced Manchester City, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Liverpool in the Premier League before finally picking up its first league win of the season, a 2-0 result over Sunderland last Sunday.
Context: Milan’s Form Before The Setback
AC Milan arrived at this fixture in strong form, having strung together consecutive wins in Europe and in Serie A. Milan had beaten Atalanta 3-2 at San Siro on Sunday, with Gonçalo Ramos converting a penalty and Adrien Rabiot and Mario Gila also scoring before Gianluca Gaetano and Nikola Krstović answered for Atalanta. That result left Milan with 15 points from seven Serie A matches.
What’s Next For Both Clubs
Maignan’s suspension applies only to UEFA competitions, so he remains available for Milan’s domestic schedule, including the trip to Udinese on Sunday and the derby against Inter on Oct. 31, according to Yahoo Sports. He will miss Milan’s next Europa League match, a home fixture against Ferencváros at San Siro on Nov. 5. Should UEFA classify the incident as violent conduct, Maignan could also be sidelined for the trip to Olympiacos on Nov. 26.
Bournemouth will look to carry its European momentum forward as the group stage continues, while also trying to build on its first Premier League win of the season.
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