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Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Thursday 22 October, 8pm BST
With two Europa League wins from two, Bournemouth carry their perfect European record into a first competitive meeting with AC Milan on Thursday, when the Vitality Stadium hosts its second EL fixture of the season at 8pm BST.
Ruben Amorim returns to English soil in the Europa League, the competition in which he lost the 2025 final while in charge of Manchester United. This time his Milan side sit 16th in the competition's standings, with their campaign still finding its shape after an emphatic win at Salzburg restored confidence following an opening defeat to Benfica.
Bournemouth vs AC Milan: preview and form guide
Bournemouth have transformed their home ground into a fortress in this competition, keeping the 3-0 win over Sturm Graz on 15 October as the reference point for how Marco Rose's side can perform when the pressing game clicks at the Vitality.
Their European debut, a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad in September, required Djordje Petrovic to produce a decisive save in stoppage time to preserve the result, with goals from Justin Kluivert and Rayan enough to get the campaign off to a winning start in Spain.
The Premier League picture has been messier, with a 5-1 defeat at Chelsea and a 1-0 home loss to Liverpool demonstrating the gap between Bournemouth and the division's top end; a 2-0 home win over Sunderland last Saturday, however, restored confidence and gives Rose's side a platform to take momentum into Thursday.
Alex Scott's creative influence was evident in San Sebastian, where his assist set up Rayan's decisive second goal; a thigh problem has since sidelined him, and he remains unavailable for Thursday's match for what will be his second consecutive Europa League absence.
Milan's Europa League campaign has been one of contrasts; the 4-0 hammering of Salzburg on 15 October, in which Alphadjo Cissé scored a hat-trick, was a statement response to the 2-0 home defeat to Benfica that opened their group-stage account, and Amorim's side arrive on the south coast with their European confidence in better shape than their table position suggests.
The 3-2 win over Atalanta last weekend, with goals from Gonçalo Ramos, Adrien Rabiot and Mario Gila, demonstrated the attacking variety at Amorim's disposal, but a 1-1 draw at Sassuolo earlier in October serves as a reminder that this side concedes points against opponents they would be expected to beat.
Three key absences weigh on the travelling squad: Matteo Gabbia, Alexis Saelemaekers and defender Filippo Terracciano, who serves a suspension stemming from his red card in the Salzburg win.
Amorim is expected to deploy a 3-4-2-1 with Gila partnering Koni De Winter and Strahinja Pavlovic as the back three, while Christian Pulisic and Adrien Rabiot operate behind Ramos as the two attacking midfielders, and Samuel Chukwueze and Diego Moreira push forward as wing-backs.
Team news and predicted lineups: Bournemouth vs AC Milan
Bournemouth
Scott's absence is the most significant, removing the midfielder who assisted Rayan's goal in San Sebastian from the squad for a second consecutive Europa League fixture.
Justin Kluivert and Amine Adli are both available after their respective fitness issues, giving Rose options from the bench even as he names a side that has already proven effective in the 4-2-3-1 system.
Bournemouth predicted lineup vs AC Milan
Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Adams, Christie; Rayan, Cook, Tavernier; Evanilson
AC Milan
Gabbia's absence forces a back three of Gila, De Winter and Pavlovic, while Luka Modric and Yunus Musah are expected to provide the central midfield platform for Chukwueze and Moreira as the two wing-backs.
Ramos starts at centre-forward after scoring in consecutive appearances against Salzburg and Atalanta, with Pulisic and Rabiot operating in the two attacking-midfield roles directly behind him.
AC Milan predicted lineup vs Bournemouth
Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Musah, Modric, Moreira; Rabiot, Pulisic; Ramos
Winter
Head-to-head: Bournemouth vs AC Milan
Thursday marks the first competitive fixture between Bournemouth and AC Milan in either club's history, a landmark that reflects just how recently the Cherries have entered the top tier of English football and, now, European competition.
The only previous encounter on record is a pre-season friendly at the Vitality Stadium in September 2016, which Milan won 2-1, though that result carries no weight when assessing Thursday's contest and is offered here as context only.
Milan bring a European pedigree stretching back decades and seven European Cups/UEFA Champions League trophies to a ground that held its first continental night of football just a week ago, but Bournemouth have already shown they are comfortable in this environment and will not be intimidated by reputation alone.
Our Bournemouth vs AC Milan prediction and tips
Odds correct as of Tuesday, 21 October 2026, BST.
- Evanilson to score for Bournemouth – in form with a goal in each of his last three appearances across all competitions
- Ramos to score for Milan – netted in both Salzburg and against Atalanta and starts as the lone striker
- Rayan to threaten – the forward has scored in both of Bournemouth's Europa League games this season and lines up in the right attacking-midfield role behind Evanilson
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi is a sports writer with more than 1,000 published articles covering football and major sporting events worldwide. His knowledge spans leagues across the globe, including the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1. Combining research, insight and creativity, he enjoys finding fresh angles and delivering engaging coverage of the game's biggest stories.