Bournemouth scaled giddy new heights in their debut Europa League campaign as 10-man AC Milan were convincingly brushed aside 3-0 at the Vitality Stadium.
The Italian giants, champions of Serie A only four years ago, were wretched, unable to match Marco Rose’s team who pressed them ruthlessly and attacked breathlessly in torrential conditions on the south coast.
The first two goals were penalties scored in the first half, by Justin Kluivert then by Marcus Tavernier, before Amine Adli added a magnificent late free-kick, but the home side ought to have had even more to show for their dominance.
Mike Maignan, the Milan goalkeeper and captain, let his team and his manager Ruben Amorim down badly and inexplicably, swiping at the face of James Hill at a corner, conceding a spot-kick and leaving his side to play for more than an hour with 10 players.
Bournemouth have looked perfectly at home on their maiden European adventure but, even so, this fixture had an almost surreal sound to it, the seven-time champions of Europe taking a hammering on a pitch that was hosting League Two football as recently as 2010.
“How did we end up here?” read a huge tifo unfurled in the North Stand before kick-off, but Bournemouth’s display suggested this might be just the beginning for them in Europe.