Europa League: Bournemouth host Milan after Sunderland draw and Juventus-Rennes thriller

Matchday 3 of the UEFA Europa League league phase is in full swing on Thursday, Oct. 22. The early games, which kicked off at 12:45 p.m. ET, are done, with Sunderland held at Lech Poznań and Juventus and Rennes sharing a 2-2 draw in Turin. The headline game of the evening, Bournemouth vs. AC Milan, kicks off at 3 p.m. ET alongside nine other matches.

Europa League scores: early games

Scores below are from BBC Sport’s scoreboard and The Guardian’s live coverage:

• Ferencváros 4, Torreense 1
• Union Saint-Gilloise 4, Hapoel Be’er Sheva 0
• Ararat-Armenia 0, AZ Alkmaar 4
• Dinamo Zagreb 2, NEC Nijmegen 4
• OFI Crete 0, Bayer Leverkusen 2
• Sturm Graz 1, Marseille 0
• Lech Poznań 1, Sunderland 1
• Juventus 2, Rennes 2

Sunderland held in Poland

Sunderland went ahead in the second minute through Timur Tutierov, but Leo Bengtsson volleyed in a 70th-minute equalizer from a corner for Lech Poznań, according to The Guardian’s live coverage. Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs made a spectacular double save to keep the visitors level, and Chris Rigg curled a late shot just over the bar.

BBC Sport said Sunderland remain unbeaten in the competition but failed to win for the first time. With seven points from three games and home games against Dinamo Zagreb and Jagiellonia Białystok next, The Guardian said they are “nicely set.”

Juventus and Rennes trade goals

Zeki Çelik put Juventus ahead after five minutes, but Rennes answered through Mousa Al-Tamari in the 15th minute and later led 2-1. Nick Woltemade then leveled from the penalty spot for Juventus, The Guardian reported.

Bournemouth vs. Milan: why it’s a big night

This is Bournemouth’s first-ever season in European competition, and ESPN pointed out how far the club has come: in 2009 the Cherries were fighting to stay in the Football League in English soccer’s fourth tier after starting the season on minus 17 points. Seventeen years later, they host seven-time European champions AC Milan at the Vitality Stadium.

BBC Sport’s Nizaar Kinsella reported from the stadium that supporters and staff described it as possibly the biggest occasion the club has hosted, with media demand believed to be the highest the Vitality Stadium has seen.

Form guide, per ESPN:

• Bournemouth (6 points): Marco Rose’s side won 2-1 at Real Sociedad and beat Sturm Graz 3-0. In the Premier League they only got their first win of the season on Sunday, 2-0 over Sunderland.
• AC Milan (3 points): Rúben Amorim’s team won 4-0 at Salzburg on Matchday 2 and beat Atalanta 3-2 at San Siro on Sunday. Milan lost 2-0 at home to Benfica on Matchday 1, per UEFA.

Europa League schedule: the 3 p.m. ET games

These matches kick off at 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. UK), per BBC Sport and UEFA:

• Bournemouth vs. AC Milan
• Beşiktaş vs. Crystal Palace
• Celtic vs. Celta Vigo
• Celje vs. Red Bull Salzburg
• Hoffenheim vs. Lyon
• Jagiellonia Białystok vs. Anderlecht
• Lillestrøm vs. Real Sociedad
• Olympiacos vs. Sparta Prague
• Omonia Nicosia vs. Benfica
• Viktoria Plzeň vs. Levski Sofia

Europa League standings after the early games

Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencváros lead with nine points from three games, according to BBC Sport’s table. Union Saint-Gilloise, Juventus and Sunderland follow on seven. Bournemouth sit on six points and Milan on three, both with a game in hand on the early teams. The top eight at the end of the league phase go straight to the round of 16, and teams ninth through 24th go into the play-offs, per BBC Sport.

Europa Conference League: Brighton held

In the Conference League, Brighton & Hove Albion drew 0-0 at Jablonec, a result The Guardian said Brighton “can have no complaints” about after the home side created the better late chances. Trabzonspor led Hearts 2-0 in the latest update from The Guardian’s live coverage.

What’s next?

Matchday 4 is Thursday, Nov. 5, according to UEFA. Bournemouth visit Sparta Prague, Milan host Ferencváros, Sunderland host Dinamo Zagreb and Juventus travel to AZ Alkmaar.

FAQ

What time is Bournemouth vs. Milan? 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Vitality Stadium.

Who leads the Europa League? Bayer Leverkusen and Ferencváros, with nine points each after the early games.

Is this Bournemouth’s first European season? Yes. ESPN said it is the club’s first campaign in continental competition.