BOURNEMOUTH, England (Interstat) — Bournemouth scored three unanswered goals and beat Sturm Graz 3-0 on Thursday at Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, Dorset, giving the home side a winning start in the competition and leaving the Austrian visitors still searching for their first victory in it. Evanilson opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, finishing a move that Adam Smith helped create. Smith was later substituted in the 62nd minute after recording an assist. Bournemouth kept pressing and added to its lead in the 76th minute when Rayan, who had entered as a substitute, scored. Alvaro Rodriguez also found the net for Bournemouth, completing a performance in which he played the full match. The hosts controlled long stretches and protected the clean sheet as Sturm Graz struggled to generate a consistent response. Bournemouth’s pressure produced chances throughout the second half, and the home side managed the closing stages without conceding. The visitors were unable to find a reply, and Bournemouth saw out the result with a disciplined defensive effort.

Sturm Graz’s chances were limited, and its frustration showed through a series of bookings. Beganovic B. was cautioned in the 41st minute before being substituted in the 61st. Bournemouth’s Diakite B. and Soler J. were booked in the 58th and 66th minutes, respectively. Sturm Graz’s Halwachs J. and Vallci A. received yellow cards in the 85th and 87th minutes as the visitors tried to disrupt Bournemouth’s rhythm late. Evanilson also picked up a yellow card in the 14th minute. Bournemouth made several changes to manage the match. Adams T. came on in the 69th minute, while Evanilson and Tavernier M. were substituted in the 70th. Gannon-Doak B. entered in the 84th minute. Sturm Graz used substitutions in the 75th minute for Petrovic P., Hodl J. and Seidl S., and Balbo L. came on in the 83rd.

The defeat dropped Sturm Graz to 0-1 in the competition and 5-3-2 across all competitions. Bournemouth improved to 1-0 in the competition and 1-3-3 overall. Sturm Graz had entered with five wins, three losses and two draws overall, but it remained without a win in this tournament. Bournemouth had entered with one win, three losses and three draws overall before improving its competition mark. The home side’s control in midfield and its ability to convert chances separated the teams, and Sturm Graz’s late yellow cards reflected a difficult closing stretch. Bournemouth finished the match without conceding, and Sturm Graz’s record in the competition moved to 0 wins and 1 loss.

Alvaro Rodriguez scored for Bournemouth while playing the full match. Rayan scored in a 20-minute substitute appearance. Evanilson scored and was booked before being substituted after 70 minutes. Adam Smith provided an assist before his 62nd-minute substitution. The goals and the clean sheet gave Bournemouth a comfortable home result, while Sturm Graz could not recover after falling behind before halftime. Bournemouth’s victory was its first in the competition this season, and the home side will next host Sunderland in the Premier League. Sturm Graz will next host Grazer AK in the Austrian Bundesliga. Bournemouth’s overall form had included recent losses and draws, but the home side found a sharper attacking edge at Vitality Stadium. Sturm Graz, meanwhile, had shown better overall form before the match but could not carry it into this competition. The home crowd at Vitality Stadium saw Bournemouth secure the win without a late scare.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Bournemouth 2, Sturm Graz 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Bournemouth with a 76 percent probability to win. Bournemouth had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -2.5. The total score of 3 went over the over/under line of 3.5.