Bournemouth Triumphs in Spain; Palace Shines at Selhurst Park

The away end in San Sebastián refused to move. Real Sociedad’s fans had long since drifted out into the Basque night, but Bournemouth’s travelling support stayed, singing themselves hoarse as their team closed out a statement 2-1 win.

For Charlie Daniels, watching on from the BBC Radio Solent studio, it felt almost more draining than his playing days.

“It was very nerve-wracking,” the former Bournemouth defender admitted. “Let me tell you, it’s a lot easier playing than it is watching.”

Sociedad built spells of real pressure, forcing Bournemouth back, forcing corners, forcing bodies into last-ditch blocks. Those were the moments that tightened the stomach.

“They were getting momentum, getting into Bournemouth’s half, creating chances, getting corners and putting on the pressure,” Daniels said. “But to see everyone stand up, take ownership, put their bodies on the line and see it through was really good.”

This was not a side overawed by the stage. Daniels pointed straight at the experience threaded through the squad.

“It just shows the calibre of the players that Bournemouth have,” he said. “Four international players that have been there, done it, and seen it. So they do not get fazed by these occasions and it showed on the pitch.”

The touchline helps too. Their manager has worked in the Europa League before, and Daniels felt that calm fed into the performance.

“I think they were probably more comfortable with the situation than the fans and everyone else,” he added. “It is a big occasion. A big moment for the club, and they should be applauded for it. They showed their brilliance in the first half, and they showed they can dig in during the second.”

As the final whistle went, the picture was striking: a near-empty stadium, save for one noisy pocket of red and black.

“The Bournemouth fans are singing their heart out,” Daniels said. “The rest of the stadium is empty, but the Bournemouth fans are still in here singing their lives away.”

On a European night in Spain, Bournemouth looked like they belonged. Their supporters certainly sounded like it.

Palace crush Lech Poznan in “great step forward”

Across the continent, Selhurst Park crackled. Crystal Palace, still very much a work in progress under an attack-minded manager, delivered their most convincing European performance yet with a 4-0 demolition of Lech Poznan.

Captain Adam Wharton did not pretend the job is finished. Far from it.

“There’s still a lot to work on, still early days, lots of new signings,” he told TNT Sports. “We are trying to gel as fast as we can. It has been a slow start but tonight was a great step forward.”

Palace pressed high, combined sharply and swarmed forward in numbers. It was exactly the sort of football their manager has been preaching on the training ground.

“The manager is very attack minded, he wants us to get high up,” Wharton explained. “In training we are working on those patterns and I think there were a few good moments where we played one-touch play and it is good to see that starting to gel.”

Even in a four-goal win, the captain’s eye stayed critical.

“There were still some moments we could be tighter at the back but definitely a step in the right direction,” he said.

Selhurst responded to the intent. Once Palace got on the front foot, the noise rose and never really dipped.

“When you are on the front you get the crowd behind you as well and on nights like these getting the crowd behind you helps. It pushed us on,” Wharton said.

For many in this squad, European football is still relatively new territory. Last season brought the learning curve; this one is about using it.

“Last year was completely new for a lot of the players,” Wharton added. “It is a different game to the Premier League, a different intensity. In this it is sometimes a bit more tactical. Coming into this season with the experience from last season is only going to help us.”

His own form has inevitably sparked talk of an England call-up. Wharton did not bite.

“It would be great to see my name there but I am not focusing on that,” he said. “It hasn’t really been on my mind with us having games every three days now. It would obviously be great for me to be in the squad. At the same time there are more camps throughout the year and we have lots of games coming up.”

Strand Larsen buries penalty demons

On a night full of attacking fluency, Jorgen Strand Larsen still found a personal battle to win. Two missed penalties had been hanging over him. When Palace won another spot-kick, the moment arrived.

“When you miss two in a row you have to smack it in,” the striker told TNT Sports. “It was a risky one, it was going a bit higher than I expected. I enjoyed it.”

The ball flew in, the weight lifted. There was a subplot too: team-mate Yeremy, who also wanted the responsibility.

“Yeremy is my brother, maybe he deserved to take it but I needed one after missing two,” Strand Larsen said. “We all just want to show ourselves to the fans.”

Palace could have run up an even heavier scoreline. The patterns Wharton spoke about sliced through Lech repeatedly.

“When it works it works really well,” Strand Larsen said. “We could have won this game by more. We had Sunday’s game in the back of our minds.”

Bournemouth digging in under Spanish pressure. Palace cutting loose in south London. Two very different European nights for two English clubs, but both carrying the same message: they are learning quickly, and they are not just here to make up the numbers.