Atletico Madrid vs Club Brugge Preview: Simeone’s Side Chase Champions League Progression
- Taylor Walsh
- Feb 24
- 3 min read
Club Brugge stand in the way of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid progressing to the Champions League knockout stages.
After a dramatic first leg that produced six goals, Atletico Madrid welcome Club Brugge to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano for Tuesday evening’s play-off second leg.
The tie remains level after a 3–3 draw in Belgium, where Simeone’s side threw away a two-goal lead, with Christian Tzolis equalising late on.
It was the first time Atletico Madrid failed to win despite leading 2–0 at half-time in 23 Champions League matches highlighting Club Brugge’s resilience in getting back into the tie.
With the contest delicately poised, Los Rojiblancos must be at their best to progress in the Spanish capital. Simeone will take confidence from his side’s home form, which has been the brightest spark in an otherwise inconsistent European campaign.
Atletico managed three wins from four home matches in Europe, collecting nine of their 13 league-phase points at the Metropolitano, compared to just one away victory.
Domestically, however, it has not been the smoothest season. Atletico sit fourth in La Liga, three points behind Villarreal in third and 13 adrift of leaders Barcelona. Recent form reflects those inconsistencies two wins in five games across all competitions, alongside one draw and two defeats.
A thumping 4–0 victory over Barcelona was followed just four days later by a 3–0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano a sequence that sums up Atletico’s unpredictable campaign.
However, Simeone’s experience in Champions League knockout football could give his side the edge over a Brugge team lacking comparable experience at this stage.
Club Brugge Face an Uphill Task
Despite their impressive fightback in Belgium, Club Brugge still face a significant challenge in Madrid.
The Belgian side finished five places below Atletico in the league phase, ending 19th on 10 points (three wins, one draw, four defeats). Ivan Leko’s men have struggled away from home in Europe, winning just one of their four away matches while losing three.
However, Brugge can take confidence from their attacking output. They scored 15 goals in the league phase and added three against Atletico last week.
Defensively, though, they have shown vulnerability conceding 20 goals in total something players like Julián Álvarez and Ademola Lookman will look to exploit.
Head-to-Head
Leko can draw confidence from recent history.
Club Brugge have not lost to Atletico Madrid since October 2018 and are unbeaten in their last four meetings with the Spanish side, including the first leg.
The last encounter before last week came in 2022, when ten-man Club Brugge secured a 0–0 draw at the Metropolitano a result that helped them qualify for the knockout rounds for the first time in their history.
Another goalless draw occurred in 2018, while Brugge’s most notable victory in this run was a 2–0 win in Belgium during the 2022/23 Champions League group stage.
Team News
Atletico Madrid will be without two first-team players for Tuesday’s second leg, with Nicolas Gonzalez sidelined due to a muscle injury. Pablo Barrios is also unavailable.
Ademola Lookman could make his second Champions League appearance for Simeone after making his European debut for the club last week.
The strike partnership of Alexander Sørloth and Julián Álvarez is expected to continue. The pair have seven Champions League goals between them and will hope to add to that tally.
For Club Brugge, injury concerns are limited. Lynnt Audoor and Dani van den Heuvel are doubts, while Raphael Onyedika is suspended after picking up a yellow card in the first leg.
Hans Vanaken remains the key man for the Belgian side, contributing eight goal involvements in Europe so far this season. Christian Tzolis will also be central to their attacking hopes after his late equaliser in the first leg.
Predicted Line-Ups
Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak, Molina, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri, Simeone, Koke, Llorente, Lookman, Sørloth, Álvarez
Club Brugge XI: Mignolet, Seys, Mechele, Ordoñez, Sabbe, Vetlesen, Stankovic, Vanaken, Diakhon, Tzolis, Tresoldi
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