A wild 6-goal chase, Atletico Madrid falters in the final moments

Atletico Madrid twice surged ahead but were held to a 3-3 draw by Club Brugge in an intense chase, keeping the Champions League playoff scenario wide open.

Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge delivered a nail-biting scoring duel, finishing with a 3-3 draw in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff knockout round. This result means the Spanish side still cannot secure an away win against Club Brugge after five attempts.

Diego Simeone’s squad started strongly. In the 7th minute, after VAR confirmed Joaquin Seys handled the ball inside the penalty area, Julián Alvarez calmly converted the penalty, ending a three-match goal drought against Club Brugge. However, the home team remained undeterred. Nicolò Tresoldi and Raphael Onyedika tested Jan Oblak repeatedly, forcing the Slovenian goalkeeper into several crucial saves.

Despite heavy pressure, Atletico Madrid doubled their lead late in the first half. From a corner delivered by Marcos Llorente, Antoine Griezmann executed a tactical header, allowing Ademola Lookman to tap in close range and extend the score to 2-0.

In the second half, Club Brugge surged back aggressively. In the 52nd minute, Raphael Onyedika capitalized on a rebound after Nicolò Tresoldi’s header to reduce the deficit. Minutes later, Nicolò Tresoldi scored directly by tapping in a cross from Mamadou Diakhon, completing a swift comeback.

Diego Simeone brought on Alexander Sørloth, and the Norwegian striker quickly made an impact. His pressure caused Joel Ordóñez to awkwardly score an own goal following Marcos Llorente’s cross, restoring Atletico Madrid’s lead. Yet, the drama was far from over. Christos Tzolis fired a brilliant angled shot to seal the 3-3 draw, maintaining parity ahead of the second leg in Madrid.

Club Brugge extended their unbeaten streak to six matches against Spanish teams, while Atletico Madrid continued to disappoint with inconsistent away form. Everything remains uncertain ahead of the tense rematch in the Spanish capital.