Bournemouth v Sturm Graz: Preview, predicted line-ups & Europa League tips

Europe has been kind to Bournemouth when the Premier League has not.

Thursday's Europa League league-stage meeting with Sturm Graz at the Vitality Stadium is a single match rather than a two-legged tie, so there is no second chance to put anything right.

With every side in one big table and the top of it already filling up with early winners, a slip at home would be a costly way to spend an evening.

The bookmakers see little drama, with bet365 offering a price of around 1/6 on a home win.

However, short prices in Europe have a habit of looking silly by half-time, and Sturm Graz will know it.

Bournemouth got off the mark in the competition with a 2-1 win away at Real Sociedad, scoring twice inside the first half hour and then holding on after conceding in the second half.

That made it one win from one, and a rare bright spot: the Cherries have failed to win in their last eight matches across all competitions, according to Khel Now.

Sturm Graz began with a goalless draw at home to Rennes, which gave them a point and a clean sheet but no goals to show for 11 shots.

They had just 38 per cent of the ball in that game, so they know how to live without it - which may be exactly how they approach this trip.

Rotation is the question, and the honest answer is that Bournemouth can barely afford to indulge in it.

Marco Rose's side are yet to win in England's top flight this season, so a comfortable European night is as much about confidence as it is about points.

A lengthy injury list also limits how many changes are available in the first place.

Sturm Graz, with a point already in the bag and a handful of absentees of their own, are likely to stick with a settled, compact shape and hope to hit on the break.

Bournemouth could line up in a 4-4-2, the shape they used in Spain, António Silva, Diakité and Truffert is plausible, Cook, Adams and Rayan across midfield and Evanilson and Brooks up front.

Sturm Graz used a 5-3-2 against Rennes and have little reason to change. Expect a back five, with Gorenc Stankovič, Heil and Seidl in midfield and Beganović and Włodarczyk leading the line.

Kick-off is at 20:00 BST on Thursday 15 October. The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1, and it is shown on TNT Sports where selected. Subscribers can also stream it through the TNT Sports add-on on Prime Video.

This is a single league-stage match, not a two-legged tie. In the league phase there is no extra time or penalty shootout, so if it is level after 90 minutes, the points are shared.