Smith urges Bournemouth to build on 3-0 Europa League win over Sturm Graz

Bournemouth beat Sturm Graz 3-0 at home in the Europa League on 15 October 2026, a response to their heavy weekend defeat at Chelsea that captain Adam Smith said followed a conversation among the players. Smith urged the side to carry that performance into its next match against Sunderland.

Smith says Bournemouth players addressed Chelsea defeat

Smith said the Chelsea performance had been disappointing and that the players had let themselves down. They spoke to one another before facing Sturm Graz and got the reaction they wanted, he said in comments reported by Hayters TV. He described the European win as a performance that reflected Bournemouth’s standards.

The Guardian reported that Smith gave a speech to his teammates after the Chelsea match. Smith’s comments to Hayters TV described a conversation among the players before the European fixture; it is unclear whether he and The Guardian were referring to the same exchange.

How Bournemouth beat Sturm Graz

Evanilson put Bournemouth ahead with a first-half header, according to The Guardian’s match report. Sturm Graz still threatened to equalise after the break: the visitors hit the post and forced a save from goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic. Bournemouth’s opening goal had therefore left the match in the balance during part of the second half.

Substitute Rayan then scored for Bournemouth before Álvaro Rodríguez converted an injury-time penalty to make it 3-0. The Guardian reported that the penalty followed an inadvertent handball by Jon Gorenc Stankovic. The two late goals gave Bournemouth a wider winning margin after Sturm Graz’s chances to draw level.

Sunderland is Bournemouth’s next test

Smith said Bournemouth were turning their attention to a Sunday match against Sunderland and needed another three points. The Guardian reported that Marco Rose believed in the team and wanted it to take the Sturm Graz performance into its next game. Those comments set the immediate measure for Bournemouth after the European win: whether it can produce a similar display against Sunderland.