AFC Bournemouth vs AC Milan: Match details
AFC Bournemouth and AC Milan will kick-off on 22 October 2026 at 19:00 GMT (3:00 PM EST / 20:00 BST / 21:00 SAST).
Cherries host Italian giants on historic night
AFC Bournemouth welcome seven-time European champions AC Milan to the Vitality Stadium for Matchday 3 of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League regular season phase. The South Coast side look to make a statement on home soil and solidify their place in the upper bracket of the Europa League standings. Meanwhile, AC Milan make the journey to Dorset riding a wave of high-scoring momentum across domestic and European competitions, eager to secure another three points on English soil.
Getty ImagesThe Cherries' solid home triumph over Sunderland
Bournemouth enter Thursday night direct off a confident 2–0 home victory against Sunderland in Premier League action on Sunday, October 18. Marcus Tavernier opened the scoring early in the sixth minute before Evanilson doubled the advantage shortly after half-time (48'). That domestic win built on their previous 3–0 Europa League Matchday 2 triumph over Sturm Graz on October 15, giving Marco Rose's side consecutive clean-sheet victories at the Vitality Stadium powered by forward Evanilson and wide playmaker Marcus Tavernier.
Getty ImagesRossoneri's back-to-back high-scoring successes
AC Milan travel to England boasting explosive offensive momentum. On Sunday, October 18, Milan claimed a thrilling 3–2 Serie A victory over Atalanta at the San Siro, with Gonçalo Ramos, Adrien Rabiot, and Mario Gila all finding the net. That domestic success followed a dominant 4–0 away victory against FC Red Bull Salzburg on Europa League Matchday 2 (October 15). Driven by creative playmaking from Luka Modrić and Adrien Rabiot alongside wide threat Christian Pulisic, Milan carry formidable scoring threat into Thursday's trip.
Team news & squads
AFC Bournemouth vs AC Milan Probable lineups
Manager
- M. Rose
Marco Rose's Bournemouth have no injury or suspension information confirmed ahead of this fixture, with team news expected to be updated closer to kick-off.
Ruben Amorim's AC Milan are similarly without confirmed squad details at this stage. Updates on availability will be added as the club releases information ahead of the match.
Form
Bournemouth head into this match with three wins and two defeats from their last five outings across all competitions. Their most recent result was a 2-0 Premier League win over Sunderland, and before that they beat Sturm Graz 3-0 in the Europa League. Their only losses in the run came against Chelsea, who beat them 5-1 in the league, and Liverpool, who won 1-0. Rose's side have scored eight goals and conceded seven across those five matches, with their European form notably stronger than their domestic record.
Milan arrive with three wins, one draw, and one defeat from their last five. The most recent was the 3-2 Serie A victory over Atalanta, which followed a 4-0 Europa League win over Salzburg. A 1-1 draw with Sassuolo and a 3-0 win over Lecce also feature in the run, with their only defeat a 2-0 loss to Benfica in Europe. Amorim's side have scored 10 goals and conceded five across those five matches.
Head-to-Head Record
The two clubs have met only once in recorded head-to-head history, a Club Friendlies fixture in September 2016 in which AC Milan won 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium. With just a single meeting on record, there is little historical context to draw on, and this Europa League encounter will effectively set the tone for any future rivalry between the two sides.
Standings
| # | P | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | PTS | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 6 | ||
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 6 | ||
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 6 | ||
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 6 | ||
| 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 6 | ||
| 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | ||
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | ||
| 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 | ||
| 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 | ||
| 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 | ||
| 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 4 | ||
| 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 | ||
| 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | ||
| 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 | ||
| 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 | ||
| 22 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 | ||
| 22 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 | ||
| 24 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 | ||
| 24 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 | ||
| 26 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 1 | ||
| 27 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 1 | ||
| 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 | ||
| 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 | ||
| 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 | ||
| 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 | ||
| 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 | ||
| 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 | ||
| 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 | ||
| 35 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 | ||
| 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 0 |
