Milan’s Europa League run hit another obstacle when two early blunders from Koni De Winter and Mike Maignan allowed Bournemouth to claim a 3-0 win. The away side gave away two spot kicks, and Maignan’s sending off forced them to fight from behind for the majority of the match.
Bournemouth kept their unbeaten European record intact this season, securing another three points after earlier wins against Real Sociedad and Sturm Graz. Milan, on the other hand, were left frustrated by a terrible start and yet another poor result following their 2-0 loss at home to Benfica.
Early errors prove decisive in Milan vs Bournemouth
Milan came into the game with three victories from their last four competitive fixtures, but their European performances remained inconsistent. Alphadjo Cisse was back in the squad after turning 20 and netting a hat-trick in the 4-1 away triumph over RB Salzburg. However, Goncalo Ramos, Samuel Chukwueze, Alexis Saelemaekers, and Matteo Gabbia were all sidelined with injuries, and Filippo Terracciano was serving a suspension.
Bournemouth, who ended last season sixth in the Premier League, began their European campaign with confidence. Alex Scott and Eli Junior Kroupi were missing due to injury, while Fraser Forster, Max Aarons, Julian Araujo, Juanlu Sanchez, Daniel Jevvison, and Veljko Milosavljevic were not included in the UEFA squad list. Michele Di Gregorio made only his second outing for the Cherries after arriving on loan from Juventus.
The first goal came when Koni De Winter made contact with Evanilson’s header from a corner. VAR spotted the offence and awarded Bournemouth a penalty, which Justin Kluivert calmly dispatched beyond Maignan. The attacker emulated his father, former Milan forward Patrick Kluivert.
Maignan’s dismissal puts Milan in a difficult position
Bournemouth kept pressing after going ahead. Maignan kept out Ryan Christie with a quick shot from distance before reacting sharply to tip James Hill’s deflected attempt around the far post.
The ensuing corner produced another turning point. Tyler Adams was tussling with Maignan, who reacted by pushing the Bournemouth man away. The referee showed the goalkeeper a straight red card and gave the Cherries a second penalty under the new regulations, which permit such an offence to be punished even when the ball is out of play.
Lorenzo Torriani came on for Maignan, but his first job was to pick the ball out of the net. Marcus Tavernier stepped up from the spot and converted, leaving Milan two goals down and a man short.
Bournemouth capitalises on Milan’s defensive mistakes
Milan kept struggling at the back, with Fikayo Tomori almost gifting Bournemouth another chance after losing the ball in the centre circle. He then fouled Evanilson and was booked.
Bournemouth nearly increased their lead again when Rayan headed over the crossbar. Milan also showed some signs of life, as De Winter glanced on Diego Moreira’s free-kick and forced Lewis Cook into a hurried clearance.
The Cherries were momentarily unsettled when substitute Alex Toth picked up a muscle injury and had to come off. But the disruption did little to alter the overall flow, with Bournemouth staying in command against a Milan team unable to bounce back from their early errors.
Amine Adli confirms Bournemouth’s Europa League win
Bournemouth finally grabbed a third goal late on through Amine Adli. His free-kick curled around a badly positioned Milan wall, surprising Torriani as the ball sailed into the near top corner.
The goalkeeper stopped the scoreline from getting worse with a fine reflex save to deny Rayan’s angled strike. But the late stop could not hide Milan’s issues, as Bournemouth sealed a comfortable win to maintain their flawless Europa League record.