Atlético Madrid Vs Club Brugge — Sorloth hat-trick seals 7-4 aggregate and last-16 spot
Alexander Sorloth's first Champions League hat-trick guided Atlético Madrid to a 4-1 win over Club Brugge as the tie finished 7-4 on aggregate in the atlético madrid vs club brugge second leg, sending Diego Simeone's side into the Round of 16.
Atlético Madrid Vs Club Brugge at the Wanda Metropolitano
The match at the Wanda Metropolitano finished 4-1 on the night and 7-4 on aggregate. Diego Simeone's side made a fast start on home soil, with Sorloth starting in place of Antoine Griezmann and opening the scoring in the 23rd minute. Sorloth later added two goals in the final 14 minutes to complete his treble and book a last-16 meeting with Premier League opposition — either Tottenham or Liverpool.
Sorloth's hat-trick, season tally and recent form
Alexander Sorloth scored his first Champions League hat-trick and has now scored five goals in this season's Champions League. The Norway striker collected a long ball from keeper Jan Oblak for his 23rd-minute opener, his half-volley squirming past Simon Mignolet. He had also netted twice against Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday, and completing this hat-trick ended Atlético's three-game winless run in the Champions League.
Johnny Cardoso's immediate second-half response
Three minutes into the second half Johnny Cardoso thrashed home a low strike to restore Atlético's aggregate lead, putting them 5-4 ahead. The goal was described as his first for the club, a rasping half-volley from outside the box; another account notes he drilled home from 20 yards to make it 2-1 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate. Atlético stepped up a gear after the break and Cardoso's strike was the pivotal response that swung the tie back in Atleti's favour.
Club Brugge fightback chances: Ordoñez, Mechele, Vetlesen and Christos Tzolis
Brugge levelled 13 minutes after Sorloth's opener when Joel Ordonez headed home from a corner, with Brandon Mechele flicking the corner on at the near post. Ordonez had earlier scored an own goal in the first leg when the two sides drew 3-3 in Belgium. Less than two minutes after Ordonez's equaliser, Hugo Vetlesen thought he had put the visitors ahead from a Christos Tzolis cross, only for Jan Oblak to deny him with a stellar save.
Oblak's role: long pass for Sorloth and an incredible save despite being wrong-footed
Jan Oblak played a central role in both the opening goal and in several key stops. He supplied the long ball that Sorloth collected for the 23rd-minute opener and later produced a stellar save to deny Hugo Vetlesen. In one sequence Oblak was wrong-footed but somehow still made an amazing save to deny Club Brugge, underlining his influence on the night.
Round of 16 implications, remaining draw path and scheduling notes
The win takes Atlético into the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. The Rojiblancos secured a 7-4 aggregate victory in the play-off and now face a last-16 tie with either Tottenham or Liverpool. From elsewhere in the draw picture, Tottenham will face one of Atlético, Galatasaray or Juventus in the Round of 16 depending on the result of the Galatasaray-Juventus tie. Galatasaray and Juventus meet in their second leg at the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday evening, with the Turkish Super Lig champions 5-2 up from the first leg in Istanbul. The winners of that tie will enter Friday's draw in Switzerland at 11am UK, which will determine the remaining Round of 16 pairings.
Match context and postmatch note
The two sides had been level at 3-3 after the first leg in Belgium, and Atlético's improvement at home — aided by Sorloth replacing Griezmann in the starting line-up — proved decisive. After the opportunity to rate players closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by Sport users.
