Bournemouth host AC Milan in the third round of the Europa League league phase on Thursday, 22 October 2026, with both sides looking to build on recent victories.
The match will be played at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth and will kick off at 19:00 GMT.
Coverage will be available on Canal+ in France; TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and HBO Max in the United Kingdom; Sky Sport in Italy; Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network in the United States; beIN Sports in the Middle East and North Africa; DAZN in Germany; Ziggo Sport 5 in the Netherlands; and SuperSport and Canal+ Afrique in sub-Saharan Africa.
Previous meeting
The two clubs have met only once before. That encounter was a friendly at the Vitality Stadium in 2016, when the Italian side secured a 2-1 victory.
Thursday’s fixture will therefore be their first competitive meeting.
Recent form
Bournemouth go into the game having made an impressive start to their Europa League campaign. The Cherries have won both of their opening matches, beating Real Sociedad 2-1 before recording a 3-0 victory against Sturm Graz.
They also defeated Sunderland 2-0 on Sunday. That result followed a heavy 5-1 loss to Chelsea on 10 October, but Bournemouth have responded with three wins in their past four matches.
AC Milan have also improved their results in recent games. The Rossoneri followed a convincing 4-0 win against Salzbourg with a 3-2 victory over Atalanta.
That sequence has restored some confidence ahead of their trip to England, with AC Milan appearing better prepared for the European challenge than they had been previously.
Match prediction
Bournemouth’s home form in European competition could make the contest highly competitive, and the English side are expected to put up a strong fight at the Vitality Stadium.
However, AC Milan’s recent victories, including the 4-0 success against Salzbourg, have given them renewed momentum. Their greater experience in European football may prove decisive in a closely contested match.
Africafoot’s prediction is a 2-1 victory for AC Milan.
The published betting prices list Bournemouth as 2.00 to win, a draw at 3.50 and an AC Milan victory at 2.95.
