Atlético Madrid - Club Brujas: Sørloth Hat-trick Sends Atlético to Champions Round of 16
The playoff tie concluded with atlético madrid - club brujas ending 4-1 on the night and 7-4 on aggregate, a result that sends Atlético into the Champions League Octavos de Final. The outcome hinged on a trio of goals from Sørloth, a key second-half strike from Johnny Cardoso and a tense first half that saw both sides trade pivotal moments.
Atlético Madrid - Club Brujas: Final score and aggregate
Atlético de Madrid overcame Club Brujas 4-1 in the decisive playoff match to advance to the Round of 16. The aggregate score finished 7-4. The two-legged tie had opened with a 3-3 draw in the first match, in which the Colchoneros surrendered a two-goal advantage; that earlier slip set the stage for a close return leg where a strong attacking display and a decisive defensive save proved crucial.
Sørloth’s goals shifted the tie
Sørloth opened the scoring for Atlético with a goal that involved the collaboration of goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. He later converted a second after a collective build that featured contributions from Griezmann and Lookman, and sealed his hat-trick with a precise finish inside the area in the closing minutes. Those three goals were the single biggest factor in Atlético’s victory and completed a night the report described as "redonda" for both the team led by Cholo Simeone and the Norwegian striker, who is noted as eclipsing Julián Álvarez in recent form.
Johnny Cardoso’s 48’ rebound put Atlético ahead
Early in the second half, Johnny Cardoso struck in the 48th minute by taking a rebound outside the area and unleashing a shot that squeezed through several defenders and into the net, making it 2-1. That strike restored Atlético’s lead and shifted momentum after Club Brujas’ equalizer before halftime.
Oblak’s save and Joel Ordóñez’s corner equalizer
Before the break, Club Brujas responded when Joel Ordóñez turned a corner into the net to level the score at 1-1. Moments later, Atlético goalkeeper Oblak produced an impressive stop, using a hand to prevent the ball from crossing the line and denying Brujas what would have been a halftime advantage. Those two sequential episodes — Ordóñez’s goal followed by Oblak’s intervention — kept the match finely balanced heading into the second half.
Simeone’s side capitalized on openings
Cholo Simeone’s Atlético converted a mix of attacking interplay and opportunistic finishing into decisive goals. A collective move involving Antoine Griezmann and Ademola Lookman directly preceded Sørloth’s second of the night, underlining how coordinated forward play created space for clinical finishes. The club’s ability to turn those openings into goals produced the clear cause-and-effect outcome: the scoring sequence produced by Sørloth and Cardoso led directly to Atlético advancing.
What makes this notable is the way individual moments — a keeper error, a set-piece goal, an extraordinary save, and a rebound strike — combined across both legs to determine progression. The 4-1 victory on the night and the 7-4 aggregate reflect a tie that featured both defensive interventions and prolific finishing, delivering Atlético into the Champions League Octavos de Final and leaving Club Brujas eliminated from the playoff.
