Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid: Preview and Prediction

Club Brugge are all set to host Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League playoff tie at the Jan Breydel Stadium on Wednesday.

Having missed out on an automatic spot in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Atletico Madrid will now have to take down Belgian outfit Club Brugge in the playoffs to progress further.

The home team finished 19th in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League with 10 points in their eight outings, with three wins, a draw and four defeats. Club Brugge had only won one out of their first six fixtures, but thanks to consecutive wins right at the end, they find themselves in the knockout stage.

The Belgian outfit have been in fine form in the league, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of an impressive 3-0 win over Marseille in their last European outing. Club Brugge will certainly be confident about their chances, but taking down Atletico Madrid won’t be that straightforward.

The visitors have been very inconsistent this season, and they will be disappointed that they could not secure an automatic spot in the :ast 16. They finished 14th in the league with 13 points in their eight outings (four wins, a draw and three defeats).

Failure to win any of their last two fixture was a massive blow for them. The fact that they played out a draw against Galatasaray and lost to Bodo/Glimit right at the end perfectly sums up their form this season. Simeone’s men did smash Barcelona 4-0 in the Copa del Rey, but they are heading into this one on the back of a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Rayo Vallecano.

While they are favourites, they have been very inconsistent, and one cannot be certain that they will go past Burgge. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Club Brugge

The home team could be without the services of Dani van den Heuvel (knock) and Lynnt Audoor (muscle), who are both major doubts for this outing. The Belgian outfit will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Simon Mignolet will take charge in goal.

Kyriani Sabbe and Joaquin Seys will feature as the full-backs, while Joel Ordonez will pair up with Brandon Mechele in the heart of the defence. As for the midfield unit, Aleksandar Stankovic will start alongside Raphael Onyedika and Hans Vanaken in the centre of the park.

The trio will look to ensure Atletico Madrid midfielders do not run the show. In the final third, Carlos Forbs and Mamadou Diakhon will feature out wide on the flanks, providing width to their attacks. Finally, Romeo Vermant will lead the line for Club Brugge against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Mignolet; Sabbe, Ordonez, Mechele, Seys; Stankovic, Onyedika, Vanaken; Forbs, Vermant, Diakhon

Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid will be without the services of Pablo Barrios, who is sidelined with a thigh injury. Apart from him, everyone else should be available for selection.

The visitors will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will take charge in goal. Nahuel Molina and Matteo Ruggeri will be the full-backs, while Marc Pubill will start alongside David Hancko in the heart of the defence.

Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman will feature on the flanks in midfield. They will look to support the full-backs and provide width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Koke and Marcos Llorente will feature as the two central midfielders. They will look to control the tempo of the game. Finally, Alexander Sorloth will partner with Argentine attacking sensation Julian Alvarez.

Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Molina, Hancko, Pubill, Ruggeri; Lookman, Koke, Llorente, Simeone; Sorloth, Alvarez

Key Stats

• Both teams have squared off against each other on six occasions in the UEFA Champions League. Both teams have two wins each, and the remaining two games have finished level.
• Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge faced each other during the group stage of the 2022/23 season. The Belgian outfit won at home and played out a draw away.
• Diego Simeone’s men have never won an away game against the Belgian club.
• Atletico Madrid have only won two out of their last six games in all competitions (3 defeats).
• Club Brugge have won five out of their last six games across competitions.

Player to Watch

Ademola Lookman

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Atletico Madrid’s winter signing is certainly doing the trick on the pitch for them. While he was not at his best in the first half of the season at Atalanta, the move to the Spanish capital has helped revive his career. The Nigerian international might have only featured in four matches, but he is already an integral part of Simeone’s plans.

In his four outings for Atletico, the 28-year-old has four goal contributions (two goals, two assists). He was on fire against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, and the Argentine manager will be hoping for a similar performance against Brugge.

Club Brugge will head into this first leg full of belief, especially given their strong recent form and Atletico Madrid’s struggles on the road in Europe. The Belgian giants are likely to approach the game with intensity and discipline, looking to make the most of home advantage and frustrate their more illustrious opponents with a compact shape and quick transitions.

That said, Atletico Madrid possess far more experience at this stage of the competition and should be better equipped to handle the pressure moments. If Diego Simeone’s men manage to control the midfield battle and remain defensively solid, their added quality in the final third could prove decisive, allowing them to edge the tie and return to Spain with a valuable first-leg advantage. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the away team.