Marco Rose has called for his Bournemouth players to remain grounded after they dismantled seven-time European champions AC Milan in a historic night at the Vitality Stadium. The Cherries continued their flawless start to the Europa League campaign, leaving Ruben Amorim to lament a catastrophic disciplinary lapse from his goalkeeper.
Early penalties and Maignan madness cost Milan
The Cherries established their dominance almost instantly when Justin Kluivert converted an eighth-minute penalty following Koni De Winter's handball. The contest then rapidly unravelled for the visitors just before the half-hour mark. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan received a straight red card for shoving Tyler Adams in the face during a corner, allowing Marcus Tavernier to double the hosts' advantage from the spot.
Amine Adli capped off a flawless evening with an 84th-minute free-kick, sealing a 3-0 triumph. The victory ensures Bournemouth maintain a perfect Europa League record with three wins from three. Remarkably, Rose's high-flying squad are the first English club since 1973 to win their opening three fixtures in a major continental competition.
Rose praises Cherries' ruthless streak
Rose was quick to commend his team's relentless intensity, noting their superiority even before Milan were reduced to 10 men. The manager expressed immense pride in how effectively Bournemouth neutralised their prestigious opponents.
"It was a big night for us - I'm happy for the club and our fans," Rose stated after the final whistle. "I'm really proud of my lads and how they did it today was brilliant from the first minute to the last minute, we played a good game.
"Even with 11 versus 11 we started well, we put pressure on them, we won balls, we created chances, we got the penalty. Then the red card of course, it makes something with the game, we had one player more.
"But sometimes you get into trouble in these situations. But we suffocated them, we didn't give them anything, and that's really good. I love our boys and I love our approach."
Amorim laments lost contest as Rose preaches caution
For Amorim, returning to manage in England for the first time since his January dismissal from Manchester United proved a miserable experience. Despite an unbeaten start in Serie A, Milan have now managed just one victory in three European outings.
"It's hard to talk about the performance - there was no game after 27 minutes," Amorim admitted. "We need to work on our mistakes, have 11 players on the pitch all the time to change the momentum of the game. It was a hard night for us - because of the man sent off, and Ruben [Loftus-Cheek] felt something at halftime. We didn't have the time to put ourselves in the game, we had the first corner, the penalty, the sending off. We killed our game."
Meanwhile, despite the euphoric atmosphere, Rose refused to entertain talk of a deep tournament run. "We will stay humble," he declared. "We know we are good, if we have the whole squad we know we can compete with everyone and everywhere. But we have so many games. It's so demanding, so ask me in April again. We are still in the right direction but we should not get in any way in a comfort zone. If we get in there, we get in trouble. We have to prove it again and again."
Addressing a minor post-match altercation between the benches, Rose waved away concerns: "I couldn't see it as I went on to the pitch. Everyone wants to win games and everyone wants to compete. Even during the game it was emotional but everyone shook hands. All good."
Milan seek redemption in Serie A
Milan must quickly regroup as they return to domestic action against Udinese in just three days, hoping to preserve their unbeaten league streak. The Italian giants will need to assess the fitness of Loftus-Cheek while addressing their concerning European form.
When pressed on whether he had spoken to Maignan following the goalkeeper's costly dismissal, Amorim was resolute. "I don't talk with the players now - everything is still fresh," the Milan boss said. "We don't have too much time to think about that. We are playing in [three] days at Udinese. We can do better. We need 11 players on the pitch."