Alvaro Rodriguez (left) and Evanilson celebrate Getty Images

Goalscorer Evanilson is the most expensive signing in Bournemouth's history

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport journalist

Bournemouth marked their first European game on home soil with a hard-fought win over Sturm Graz on a historic night at Vitality Stadium.

The Cherries made it two wins from as many matches in the Europa League league phase thanks to a stunning header from forward Evanilson followed by late strikes from Rayan and Alvaro Rodriguez.

After beating Real Sociedad in their opening tie last month, the win against the Austrian side means Bournemouth are the first English club since Bolton in 2005 to win their first two matches in a major European competition.

It always felt as though the occasion was destined to be special on the south coast, as a record number of supporters flocked to witness a night of celebration.

The Cherries fans lucky enough to get a ticket for the momentous occasion were treated to a lively pre-match fireworks display. The home supporters also unveiled an impressive tifo paying homage to the club's incredible journey from the depths of League Two all the way to the Europa League.

But last season's Austrian Bundesliga runners-up proved to be stubborn opponents and prevented Bournemouth from registering a shot on target in the opening 25 minutes.

The home side thought they had broken the deadlock moments before the half-hour mark when Bafode Diakite bundled the ball over the line from a corner, but his effort was quickly ruled out for handball.

It took until two minutes before half-time, but Bournemouth's persistence eventually paid dividends when Evanilson angled a wonderful, looping header over Danil Khudyakov after connecting with Adam Smith's cross from the right.

The Brazilian striker, who found the back of the net for the first time since February during Saturday's defeat at Chelsea, displayed incredible technique to open the scoring and ease the pressure on his side.

After spending much of the first half camped inside their own half, Sturm Graz burst into life after the restart and could have been level had Djordje Petrovic not produced a strong save to deny Jacob Hodl, seconds after Jurgen Heil's effort had crashed against the post.

Substitute Rayan made sure of the victory 14 minutes from time, scoring his second goal in as many Europa League appearances this season, before Rodriguez added the gloss to a memorable night by converting a penalty in stoppage time.

Unforgettable night for Cherries

It was a night no Bournemouth supporter will forget.

Less than 20 years after completing one of the greatest escapes in English Football League history following a 17-point deduction, the Cherries were celebrating back-to-back wins in the Europa League.

It was little wonder there was no rush for supporters to leave their seats after the final whistle, with the game, which attracted the highest attendance in the stadium's history, proving to be one of the hottest tickets in town.

It was a night filled with heartwarming moments. First, the club's longest-serving player, Smith, who initially joined the Cherries in 2011 when they were a League One side, provided the cross for Evanilson to head home the opener after a dominant first-half performance from Marco Rose's side.

After offering little threat in the first half, the visitors, who were competing in the Champions League as recently as 2024, looked determined to spoil the party as they began to pepper Petrovic's goal.

It would have been easy for Bournemouth to crack under the pressure of the occasion, particularly given their tendency to throw away leads in the Premier League this season.

But this historic night had a fairytale ending, as Bournemouth, backed by the firepower from their bench - another sign of how far the club has come since the dark days of 2008 - powered to victory, ensuring the 12,000 supporters watching on home soil would have a night to remember.

If the fans thought this would never be topped, they might want to wait until AC Milan visit the south coast next week.

Player of the match

B. Gannon-Doak
8.38
11 B. Gannon-Doak
8.38
9 Evanilson
8.35
15 A. Smith
8.13
4 L. Cook
7.95
12 T. Adams
7.91
37 Rayan
7.90
1 Đ. Petrović
7.90
16 M. Tavernier
7.83
14 António Silva
7.77
6 J. Soler
7.74
10 R. Christie
7.73
18 B. Diakité
7.70
19 J. Kluivert
7.47
5 J. Hill
7.44
30 Á. Rodríguez
7.33
21 A. Adli
7.23
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