Bournemouth and Palace Shine in European Matches

The final whistle went in San Sebastián and the Real Arena emptied quickly – everywhere except one corner. Bournemouth’s corner. Their players had just beaten Real Sociedad 2-1 away from home, and their supporters were determined to savour every second of it.

Up in the BBC Radio Solent studio, former Cherries defender Charlie Daniels admitted he had suffered through it.

“It was very nerve-wracking,” he said. “Let me tell you, it's a lot easier playing than it is watching.”

Bournemouth had to ride out waves of pressure as Sociedad pushed late on – corners flying in, attacks building, the crowd sensing a comeback. That was the moment, Daniels felt, when the character of this side really surfaced.

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

For Daniels, the performance underlined the level of player Bournemouth now possess.

“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 manager’s European experience mattered too. Having worked in the Europa League before, he looked at home on this stage, and Daniels felt that calm spread.

“I think they were probably more comfortable with the situation than the fans and everyone else,” he added.

Bournemouth shone before they had to suffer. The first half brought the “brilliance” Daniels talked about; the second half demanded something different – grit, blocks, clearances, game management. They delivered both sides of the coin.

“It is a big occasion. A big moment for the club, and they should be applauded for it,” Daniels said. “They showed their brilliance in the first half, and they showed they can dig in during the second.”

Down on the pitch, the story ended with sound. A lot of it.

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

A European away win, a defiant away end, and a team that suddenly looks very comfortable on nights like this. Bournemouth walked off with more than just three points – they walked off looking like they belong.

Wharton drives Palace as Poznan are swept aside

At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace produced the kind of European performance their supporters have been waiting for. A 4-0 demolition of Lech Poznan, a statement scoreline and, perhaps most importantly, a sense that something is starting to click.

Captain Adam Wharton did not pretend everything is perfect. Far from it. But he knew what this night meant.

“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 were aggressive, front-foot, and intent on turning possession into pressure. That is exactly how their manager wants it.

“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.”

The clean sheet still nagged at him. Even at 4-0, he was thinking about the details.

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

Once Palace went after Poznan, Selhurst Park did the rest. The old ground can feel like it tilts towards the opposition goal when Palace build a head of steam.

“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,” Wharton said. “It pushed us on.”

This is Palace’s second crack at European football in quick succession, and the lessons from last year are clearly still fresh.

“Last year was completely new for a lot of the players,” Wharton reflected. “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 will inevitably drag the England conversation back into view. Wharton did not dodge the question, but he refused to let it dominate his thinking.

“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.”

For now, his focus is clearly on Palace – and on turning nights like this into a habit.

Strand Larsen buries penalty demons in ruthless Palace win

While Wharton controlled the game, Jorgen Strand Larsen wrestled with a more personal battle. Two missed penalties still hung over him when Palace won another spot-kick against Poznan.

He stepped up anyway.

“When you miss two in a row you have to smack it in,” he 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, and the striker allowed himself a smile. There was a subplot, too: team-mate Yeremy Pino, who might have fancied the kick himself.

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

Palace did exactly that. Four goals felt almost generous to Poznan given the chances created.

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

That final line hinted at the next challenge. Palace have found a spark in Europe. The question now is whether they can carry this swagger back into the Premier League weekend after weekend.