Club Brugge and Atletico Madrid played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off at Jan Breydel Stadium. Atletico Madrid twice surrendered the lead, with the home side equalizing late to set up a decisive second leg. The result leaves the tie evenly poised ahead of the return match in Madrid.
The match at Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges on February 18, 2026, saw Atletico Madrid take an early lead in the eighth minute when Julian Alvarez converted a penalty after a handball in the area. The visitors dominated the first half and doubled their advantage just before the break, as Ademola Lookman tapped in at the back post from Antoine Griezmann's flicked header on a corner.
Club Brugge responded strongly after halftime. In the 51st minute, Raphael Onyedika reacted quickly to score from a rebound following a save by Jan Oblak on Nicolo Tresoldi's effort. Nine minutes later, Tresoldi leveled the score himself, guiding home a low cross from Mamadou Diakhon.
Atletico regained the lead in the 79th minute through an own goal by Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez, who turned Marcos Llorente's low cross into his own net under pressure. However, the home side fought back once more, with Christos Tzolis equalizing one minute into stoppage time to secure a 3-3 draw.
The result means Atletico Madrid must win the second leg at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano next Tuesday to advance to the round of 16. Club Brugge, playing at home, showed resilience by coming from behind twice, while Atletico will rue their inability to hold leads despite a strong start.
