The technically superior hosts were quick to dominate possession, pinning their opponents back in their own half for long periods and deservedly taking the lead when Ryan Fraser fired in from close range.
Bournemouth was then awarded a penalty when Callum Wilson was brought down after a tangle with Bruno Ecuele Manga, but the forward’s low spot-kick was well saved by Neil Etheridge.
Bournemouth spoiled Cardiff City’s Premier League return with a hard-earned 2-0 victory.
Cardiff roused themselves in the second half with a flurry of chances from set pieces – the best seeing Sean Morrison thwarted a yard out by Asmir Begovic.
But Wilson struck in added time to give Bournemouth a first opening day win since they were promoted to the top flight in 2015.
There was a sense of relief as the unseasonably heavy rain descended on the Vitality Stadium, where the hosts had looked set for a routine victory before they were unsettled by Cardiff’s second-half resurgence.
For the visitors, despite competing with the tenacity expected from a Neil Warnock side, this was a harsh reminder of the chasm in quality between the Championship and the Premier League.
Bournemouth’s lavish summer bears fruit
Looking to improve on last season’s 12th-place finish, Bournemouth had enjoyed a relatively lavish summer by their standards, signing young Wales forward David Brooks and full-back Diego Rico for more than £10m each, and then breaking their transfer record to buy Colombia midfielder Jefferson Lerma for £27m.
Neither Lerma nor Rico were available here but Brooks supplemented a slick Bournemouth midfield and attack, whose movement and crisp passing often left Cardiff’s players flailing.
One such example led to the opening goal midway through the first half, Wilson darting to the byline and pulling a low cross back to an unmarked Fraser, who finished firmly.
Cardiff had prided themselves on defensive solidity in the Championship but they struggled to get to grips with their opponents on this occasion, and Wilson was again a thorn in their side when he fell under a challenge from Ecuele Manga for what seemed quite a soft penalty.
Wilson’s penalty miss threatened to prove costly as Bournemouth had to withstand a tirade of Cardiff set-pieces that almost resulted in an equaliser in the second half.
Ultimately, however, it was academic as it was Wilson who delivered the killer blow, meeting Simon Francis’ cross to finish neatly in added time.
Source: BBC News
