Evanilson and Rayan deliver Bournemouth’s first European home win

Evanilson put Bournemouth ahead with a first-half header and Rayan doubled the lead from close range as Marco Rose’s side recorded their first European home win at the Vitality Stadium against Sturm Graz in the Europa League. Álvaro Rodríguez then extended the celebrations with a penalty in stoppage time.

As The Guardian reports, the atmosphere matched the occasion, with a banner in the Steve Fletcher Stand reading “Minus 17 to European dreams” after the club’s climb from the lower leagues to regular continental nights. The setup reflected Rose’s wider schedule too: after the 5-1 defeat by Chelsea, key players were managed for the league trip to Sunderland, where both teams face the strange Thursday–Sunday rhythm.

Bournemouth deserved their lead at the break. Adam Smith supplied the chance that led to Evanilson’s looping header, and Rodríguez had earlier looked off in a moment where a cross didn’t drop for him. Graz pushed harder after the interval, forcing Petrovic into action with a rebound chance and coming close through Simon Seidl, but Rayan sealed it when Khudyakov only got a weak touch to his shot.