Bournemouth beat Sturm Graz 3-0 in first European home match

Bournemouth celebrated their first European home match with a 3-0 victory over Sturm Graz on Thursday, maintaining a winning start to their Europa League campaign. According to BBC Sport, the occasion was a first in the club's 127-year history. Evanilson opened the scoring before Rayan and Álvaro Rodríguez added second-half goals at the Vitality Stadium.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWUO_wz40Io

The breakthrough came in the 43rd minute when Evanilson headed in Adam Smith's cross. Sportschau's live report recorded earlier frustration for Bournemouth: a Bafodé Diakité effort was disallowed for handball and Marcus Tavernier struck the post. Evanilson's header eventually gave the hosts a half-time advantage after those opportunities had failed to produce a goal.

Sturm threatened to equalise after the interval. In the 64th minute, Jürgen Heil hit the post and Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic saved the follow-up from Jacob Hödl, according to Sportschau. Marco Rose subsequently introduced Ryan Christie, Justin Kluivert and Rayan, with the visitors still only one goal behind as the game entered its final quarter.

Rayan extended the lead in the 76th minute after goalkeeper Daniil Khudyakov failed to gather the ball following a corner. Bournemouth continued creating chances, with Kluivert denied by Khudyakov late on. Rodríguez completed the scoring from the penalty spot in stoppage time, turning a narrow half-time lead into a three-goal winning margin.

For captain Smith, the evening also brought a personal milestone: his cross supplied Bournemouth's first European goal at home. BBC Sport reported that the 35-year-old initially joined on loan from Tottenham in 2011 and made the move permanent in 2014. Supporters applauded him when James Hill replaced him during the second half, recognising a player whose time at the club has included three promotions.

The celebration also recalled a much more precarious period in Bournemouth's history. BBC Sport described a supporters' display referring to the 17-point deduction the club accepted before the 2008-09 League Two season. Bournemouth survived that campaign and reached the Premier League in 2015. Their immediate task now is to improve a winless domestic start, with Sunderland visiting on Sunday before AC Milan arrive for another European fixture next week.