Bournemouth beat AC Milan 3-0 at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday, 22 October 2026 (early on 23 October in Vietnam), in the third round of the Europa League league phase for 2026/27. Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier scored penalties inside roughly the first half-hour, goalkeeper Mike Maignan was sent off, and Amine Adli finished it with a late free-kick. It was the second defeat of the competition for Ruben Amorim's side.
Two penalties, one red card
The Guardian described Bournemouth swamping Milan from the start in heavy rain. From an early corner, VAR found that Koni De Winter had diverted Evanilson's header with his arm, and Kluivert converted the penalty.
The decisive moment came at another corner, when Maignan shoved Tyler Adams in the face as the ball was delivered. SGGP reported that referee Vassilis Fotias checked VAR and confirmed both the penalty and the red card. Tavernier beat the replacement goalkeeper, Lorenzo Torriani, to make it 2-0. Adli, another substitute, then curled a left-footed free-kick from 22 yards for 3-0. According to the Guardian, Bournemouth's celebrations at full time drew disapproval from some of Milan's staff in a short-lived fracas near the tunnel.
“We just suffocated them, we didn't give anything to them,” said Bournemouth coach Marco Rose. Amorim called it “A difficult night in every aspect”, and told Sky Sport Italia, as reported by SGGP, that the penalty and the red card changed everything. He added that he had not yet dealt with Maignan's indiscipline and would talk about it once the team were back in Milan.
Background: Amorim and Bournemouth
It was a grim return to England for the former Manchester United coach. The Guardian noted that Bournemouth had also beaten his United side 3-0 at Old Trafford in December 2024. Before kick-off Bournemouth were 15th in the Premier League, while seven-time European champions Milan were unbeaten in Serie A this season, yet bookmakers still made the English side favourites. Dân trí reported that Milan had won 4-0 against Salzburg in the previous round; SGGP said this loss dropped them to 24th, the last of the play-off places.
Other results
Compiled by KBVN+ from the Guardian and Dân trí (home team first):
| Match | Score | Talking point |
|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth v AC Milan | 3-0 | Maignan sent off, two penalties |
| Celtic v Celta Vigo | 1-2 | Mika Baur scored first, Javi Rodríguez hit two in three minutes |
| Besiktas v Crystal Palace | 2-2 | Mateta scored on his first start since the opening day |
| Lech Poznan v Sunderland | 1-1 | Timur Tutierov scored, Leo Bengtsson equalised |
| Juventus v Rennes | 2-2 | Jhon Lucumí's 88th-minute effort ruled out for offside |
| OFI Crete v Leverkusen | 0-2 | Jonas Hofmann scored twice in three minutes |
| Hoffenheim v Lyon | 3-0 | Reported by Dân trí |
| Sturm Graz v Marseille | 1-0 | Marseille's second straight European defeat |
Celtic have now lost all three games, after defeats by Ferencvaros and Benfica. Palace had lost 5-0 at Brighton and Juventus 3-0 at home to Lazio in their previous league games. Sunderland, beaten by Bournemouth in the Premier League the previous weekend, remain unbeaten in Europe. Leverkusen lead on 9 points, ahead of Ferencvaros on goal difference after the Hungarians beat Torreense 4-1. Dân trí also reported a 6-0 win for Real Sociedad over Lillestrom, the biggest of the competition so far, and a 4-1 win for Benfica against Omonia Nicosia.
What comes next
There is little time to rest for Bournemouth: the Guardian noted that on 25 October 2026 Rose's side visit Manchester United at Old Trafford, scene of their 3-0 win over Amorim's United. Milan head home to prepare for Udinese in Serie A, and Amorim said he would speak to Maignan about the red card on their return.