An historic night in Spain awaits AFC Bournemouth on Thursday, as the Cherries travel to face Real Sociedad, who have established themselves as a European regular in recent seasons.
Bournemouth achieved Europa League qualification for the first time in their history with a 6th-place finish under Andoni Iraola, who has since departed for Anfield. Marco Rose's side has picked up only one win from their previous five matches in all competitions, which was against Championship side Lincoln City in the League Cup. The Cherries have yet to win a league game under Rose, with three league matches ending in draws, after losing their opening match against Manchester City (2-1). In their first three league games, Bournemouth conceded game-altering goals after the 84th minute, which has ultimately cost them points.
Real Sociedad's results have also been inconsistent, as the home side have lost three of their six league matches but they head into this game following a 3-0 home defeat to Atletico Madrid. The hosts have been poor at home, with one win from their last seven, dating back to last season. Real Sociedad last played in the Europa League in 2024-25, reaching the last-16 stage before being eliminated by Manchester United. La Real also reached the last-16 stage of the Champions League in 2023-24, and they have a solid European pedigree, having played 120 times in Europe throughout their history.
Both teams have quality in their ranks, but both have also shown defensive frailties. A high-scoring draw could be on the cards, as over 2.5 goals have been scored in eight of the last 10 matches for both teams.
Real Sociedad 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
