Atlético Madrid - Club Brujas: Metropolitano Thriller Ends 1-1 in Champions League Playoff
In a tense playoff second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2025-2026 played at the Metropolitano, the game between atlético madrid - club brujas finished 1-1. The draw featured early chances, a goal from Alexander Sørloth and a Joel Ordóñez equalizer, with the match available live on Plan Premium Disney+ (only for South America).
Atlético Madrid - Club Brujas: Key moments at the Metropolitano
The first half produced the decisive sequences. Early on, at minute 7, Álex Baena received inside the box and fired a half-volley that flew over the crossbar. Aleksandar Stankovic then tried a long-range effort that Jan Oblak held comfortably. At minute 12, Giovanni Simeone had a chance from a precise running cross by Koke; Simeone’s touch took the ball wide, and VAR referee Clement Turpin reviewed a potential infringement by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet but dismissed a penalty, resuming the action with 0-0 on the board.
Hugo Vetlesen almost opened the scoring in minute 17 with a left-foot shot from the penalty spot, but Dávid Hancko’s headed intervention prevented the goal. The opener finally arrived in the 22nd minute when Alexander Sørloth converted after receiving a ball from Jan Oblak, holding off Brandon Mechele and finishing with his left; the sequence was described with the goal at 22', and later coverage referenced the strike at 23'. Simon Mignolet’s involvement was noted as the ball ended up under the crossbar for the 1-0 lead for Brujas.
First-half drama and the late equalizer
After the half hour mark Matteo Ruggeri supplied a left-sided cross that found the ex-Manchester City forward Julián, who headed narrowly wide of Mignolet’s right post. The equalizer came from a set piece: Mechele pealed the ball on with a header and Joel Ordóñez finished by pushing the second header across the line, making it 1-1. One minute later Oblak produced a miraculous two-stage save to deny Hugo Vetlesen from close range. Vetlesen would threaten again before halftime with a low strike from a Christos Tzolis delivery that Oblak stopped with his knee on the floor.
Refereeing, VAR and stoppage incidents
Clement Turpin was central to the match’s big moments: he oversaw a VAR check at 12' that rejected a potential penalty involving Simon Mignolet, and he blew the whistle to start the action. The match saw intense corner sequences: a left-sided corner from Brujas saw Christos Tzolis target the near post, Mechele prolong a flick to the far post where Joel Ordóñez finished. At one point a Brujas player arrived late on a loose ball with Álex Baena and struck him; an Ecuadorian player had to go to the touchline because he continued bleeding.
Johnny Cardoso, tactical notes and individual moments
Johnny Cardoso made a notable offensive impact, debuting as a goalscorer for Atlético with a fierce strike after a loose ball from a corner. The American number 5 controlled a rebound at the edge of the area and unleashed a right-footed shot that took a slight deflection off Vanaken and flew into the net. The celebration was described with intensity.
Tactically, Baena (dorsal 10) and Giuliano frequently moved inside to allow Matteo Ruggeri and Marcos Llorente to project higher, while Koke drifted to the right to create a three-man midfield overload—movements that helped create the space for Sørloth’s goal. Sorloth himself generated a dangerous left-sided action, dribbling past Mechele and searching for the far corner with a left-footed attempt that went over.
Players to follow, recent form and implications
The match underlined the players to watch listed for both sides: for Atlético those names include Julián Álvarez and Ademola Lookman, a new attacking pairing that is described as increasingly understanding each other and likely to be decisive at the Metropolitano. For Brujas, goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and forward Christos Tzolis are highlighted—Mignolet’s experience flagged as crucial for qualification and Tzolis noted to have scored in the first leg.
Both teams arrived to the playoff with recent league wins: Atlético had beaten Espanyol 4-2 and Brujas won 2-1 over Oud-Heverlee Leuven. The result leaves Atlético needing to solidify its season to fight in remaining competitions, while Brujas see a clear opportunity to reach the last 16 of Europe’s premier club tournament.
Debate around playing time for Juan Musso surfaced during the coverage, with mentions that the goalkeeper’s minutes remain a topic of discussion. The match finish and its implications will continue to unfold as the tie progresses; further developments are unclear in the provided context.
