Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert emphasized the team’s commitment to an attacking style ahead of their Europa League match against Real Sociedad in San Sebastian on Thursday. Despite a challenging run in the Premier League—remaining winless in four matches and dropping nine points from leading positions—the Cherries are maintaining their offensive approach.
Kluivert, 27, who recently scored his first goal of the season in a 2-2 draw with Brentford, highlighted Bournemouth’s aggressive playing style and rejected concerns about their finishing. The Dutch forward noted that the club has been taking numerous shots—95 attempts across five games, including a 4-0 Carabao Cup victory over Lincoln—but acknowledged the need for greater clinical precision in front of goal. He expressed confidence that the team’s goal-scoring will improve, pointing to missed opportunities by teammates such as Alex Scott and Rayan, reflecting an overall competitive performance.
Manager Marco Rose, who has yet to register a Premier League win since joining Bournemouth, expressed enthusiasm ahead of the club’s first European fixture. Rose welcomed the experience, noting the support of nearly 2,000 travelling fans for what he described as a “special night” against a strong Real Sociedad side featuring Spanish international players. The German coach reaffirmed his team’s attacking philosophy, stating that Bournemouth will continue to play forward, seek out shots on target, and pursue goals regardless of the opponent or venue.
Bournemouth’s recent match against Brentford extended the visitors’ unbeaten streak against the Cherries to 12 league games. The game featured defensive lapses by Bournemouth that allowed Bees midfielder Kevin Schade to score twice, giving Brentford the lead on both occasions. Kluivert’s equalizer temporarily kept Bournemouth in the contest, while Brentford’s second equalizer came after goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic misplayed a pass, which Schade converted with a composed lob.
Brentford striker Igor Thiago endured another goalless outing, prompting skipper Vitaly Janelt to advocate for patience and support. Janelt highlighted Thiago’s contributions beyond scoring, noting his off-the-ball work and ability to disrupt opposition defenders, emphasizing that the striker’s overall impact often goes unnoticed when goals do not come. He recalled Thiago’s accuracy from the previous season with 21 shots on target, expressing hope that goals will soon follow.
Bournemouth now looks ahead to their European debut with a firm intention to maintain their characteristic attacking play, striving for greater efficiency as they face a formidable Spanish opponent on Thursday.