Atlético Madrid Vs Club Brugge: Sorloth hat-trick seals 7-4 aggregate win
In a decisive night at the Wanda Metropolitano, atlético madrid vs club brugge finished 4-1, a win built around Alexander Sorloth's first Champions League hat-trick and Johnny Cardoso's first goal for the club that sent Atlético through 7-4 on aggregate into the round of 16.
Atlético Madrid Vs Club Brugge — Sorloth opens and completes the scoring
Alexander Sorloth opened the scoring in the 23rd minute at the Wanda Metropolitano when he collected a long ball from keeper Jan Oblak and rifled a half-volley past Simon Mignolet, a strike that took him to five goals in this season's Champions League. Sorloth, starting in place of Antoine Griezmann, added two confident finishes in the final 14 minutes to complete his hat-trick and end Atlético's three-game winless run in the competition.
How the contest swung: Ordoñez, Vetlesen and a crucial response
Club Brugge levelled 13 minutes after Sorloth's opener when Joel Ordoñez headed in from a corner, with Brandon Mechele flicking the set-piece on at the near post; Ordoñez had scored an own goal in the first leg when the two sides drew 3-3. Less than two minutes later Hugo Vetlesen met a Christos Tzolis cross and thought he had put the visitors ahead, only for a stellar save from Jan Oblak to deny him.
Cardoso’s first club goal and the second-half turn
Three minutes into the second half — the 48th minute — United States international Johnny Cardoso struck from outside the box with a rasping half-volley that put Atlético 2-1 up at the Metropolitano and nudged the tie in their favour, making the aggregate score 5-4 at that point. It was Cardoso's first goal for Atlético.
Player form, injuries and club context
Sorloth arrived on the night in form, having scored twice against Espanyol in LaLiga on Saturday, and his campaign total in the Champions League rose to five goals. Cardoso described the night as "perfect" and said: "I always dreamed about nights like this, playing in the Champions League at home with these fans, scoring a goal and getting the win. " Cardoso has had an injury-hit debut season since joining from Real Betis in July 2025, suffered an ankle injury in September that kept him out for six weeks, and had played just 203 minutes in the Champions League before Tuesday.
Consequences and the road ahead
The 4-1 victory completed a 7-4 aggregate win for Atlético Madrid and sets up a last-16 meeting with Premier League opposition: the draw on Friday will pair them with either Tottenham or Liverpool. Atlético also carry domestic commitments, having recorded a 4-0 Copa del Rey win over Barcelona earlier this month and still lie 13 points off the top of the LaLiga table; they will play Barcelona in the second leg of their cup semifinal next week.
After fans submitted player ratings for the match, the displayed average score reflects those submissions. The next confirmed event for Atlético is their cup semifinal second leg against Barcelona next week and the Champions League round-of-16 draw on Friday, which will decide whether they face Tottenham or Liverpool.
