Kluivert and Rayan fire Bournemouth to Real Sociedad win on Europe bow

Bournemouth’s European debut at Anoeta was a night with two standout headlines. Justin Kluivert put the visitors on the front foot and Rayan added a second—before Djordje Petrovic sealed the result with key stops as the match turned into a late fight.

A 2-0 lead, fast

The breakthrough didn’t take long. After 10 minutes and 43 seconds, Evanilson set the move in motion and Adrien Truffert’s ball left Kluivert with the chance to score 1-0. Then, in the 20th minute, Rayan made it 2-0, stretching Bournemouth’s dream start into something that felt historic.

The Guardian highlights a local matchday tradition that Bournemouth’s trip revived: a flare when the away side score, and two when the home side do—so fans out at sea know what’s happened. Around it, Bournemouth’s travelling support—2,000 fans chanting throughout—turned the opening European night into a celebration.

Petrovic held the line

Real Sociedad replied quickly after the break, with Sergio Gómez pulling one back on 57 minutes via a curling delivery that found the far corner. From there, Bournemouth had to hang on through stretches of pressure, including multiple late threats.

In the final moments, Petrovic rescued the result with two extraordinary saves from Orri Óskarsson, keeping Bournemouth’s lead intact even when the game looked primed for an equaliser. Bournemouth eventually held on for a 2-1 victory, ending their 127-year wait for a first European match with their first continental win on the night, as The Guardian tells it.