Club - Atlético: Club Facts
On Wednesday evening, Club Brugge is all set to play Atlético de Madrid at the occasion of the first leg of the UCL knockout play-offs. The match kicks off at 21h at Jan Breydel. Here are our Club Facts.
THE FIXTURE
For the third time on a spin, Club Brugge survived the league phase of the UEFA Champions League. Their first opponent in the knockout stages is Spanish side Atlético de Madrid. Club will be in their 385th European match, while Atlético is manning the European stage for a 390th time. Club Brugge is currently in its 12th UCL campaign, while Atlético outdoes Club narrowly with their 16th. Looking at the UEFA coefficient ranking, Atlético is ranked 13th with 95.250 points, with Club a few spots behind on 75.250.
For the ninth time there will be a tie between the Blues and the Rojiblancos. In its history, Club has only played nine matches against one other team, i.e. German side Borussia Dortmund. This means the Rojiblancos will outdo them in that respect in next week's return game. A first encounter takes us back to the quarterfinals of the European Cup in 1977-78, in which Club prevailed with a 2-0 home win thanks to goals by Paul Courant and Daniël De Cubber, while the return at Madrid was for Atlético despite goals by Julien Cools and Raoul Lambert (3-2). Club still advanced in the European Cup and, under coach Ernst Happel, reached the final, which they lost 1-0 to Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium.
Club also played a two-leg tie against Atlético in the 1991-92 season, in the quarterfinals of the Cup Winners’ Cup. Club again lost 3-2 in Madrid, despite goals by Claude Verspaille and Luc Beyens. However, they ousted Atlético by winning 2-1 at home thanks to a goal by Alex Querter and a penalty by Foeke Booy.
For Ivan Leko, it will not be a first against the Spanish club either. In the 2018-19 season he faced Atlético twice with Club Brugge. Away from home Club lost 3-1, but at Jan Breydel the game ended in a fine 0-0 draw. The last time the two teams crossed swords was in the 2022-23 season. The game in Madrid ended 0-0, largely thanks to Simon Mignolet, who played the match of his life. In four previous home matches against Atlético, Club remained unbeaten with three wins and one draw.
This will be Club Brugge’s 34th European match against a Spanish side. They have played more European matches against Spanish teams than against clubs from any other country. In 17 European home games facing Spanish opposition, Club recorded seven wins, five draws, and five defeats.
Besides their clash with Club Brugge, Atlético has played five other European matches on Belgian turf . They have not won any of them and are still waiting for their first victory in Belgium.
With 7 out of 12 at home in the Champions League, Club is having a great UCL run. Atlético, meanwhile, managed only one away win and one draw in the competition. They have not kept a clean sheet yet this season in the Champions League, having conceded 15.
For Brandon Mechele, it could be a very special match. He could become the first Club Brugge player to make it to 100 European appearances for the Blues. His debut dates back to 2013 in the qualifying round of the UEFA Europe League against Polish side Śląsk Wrocław. Since then he collected 55 Champions League matches, 28 in the Europe League, and 16 in the Conference League. He scored four times so far in Europe, two of them this season. To boot, he has only been beaten once by a dribble this season in 21 defensive situations — the lowest percentage (4.8%) of all defenders in the competition.
So far this season, Club Brugge made it to the score line 15 times in the Champions League — their highest total ever in the competition. No fewer than nine of those 15 goals were scored by players aged 19 or younger, an impressive achievement no other team has surpassed.
Notably, the goals are evenly distributed. With Hans Vanaken, Mamadou Diakhon, Carlos Forbs, Aleksandar Stanković, Nicolò Tresoldi, and Romeo Vermant, Club has six joint top scorers in the Champions League, each with two goals.
At Atlético, Argentine Julián Álvarez is the most effective goal scorer in the Champions League with four goals. He is also scoring regularly in La Liga, where his seven goals make him joint top scorer for the club.
The winner of this two-leg tie will face an English opponent in the round of 16: either Tottenham Hotspur FC or Liverpool FC.
THE OPPONENT
Founded in 1903, Atlético de Madrid has won 11 Spanish league titles, the most recent one in 2021, and lifted the Spanish Cup 10 times. In Europe they also built an impressive record: three UEFA Europe League titles, one Cup Winners’ Cup, and three UEFA Super Cup trophies. This season, after 24 matchdays, Atlético is ranked fourth with 45 points, behind Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, and Villarreal CF. They have taken just one point from their last three league matches.
Last weekend Spain also hosted a city derby. Not in the snow but under the sun, Atlético met with Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. The match ended 3-0 in favor of Rayo. The week before, Atlético faced FC Barcelona in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, winning convincingly 4-0.
Tonight's game will not be the first against a Belgian opponent for Atlético de Madrid this season. In the Champions League league phase they hosted the game against Union Saint‑Gilloise, winning 3-1 at the Estadio Metropolitano.
Argentine coach Diego Simeone is now in his 15th season at Atlético. Under his leadership the club has won seven trophies. Simeone should know Club Brugge well by now, as this will be his fourth duel with the Blues.
MILESTONES
- Brandon Mechele could play his 100th European match for Club Brugge;
- Mamadou Diakhon could play his 10th European match for the Blues.
- Simon Mignolet could play his 40th Champions League match for Club Brugge.
- Christos Tzolis could play his 20th Champions League match for Club Brugge.
MAN IN BLACK
Swedish referee Mr. Glenn Nyberg has been appointed to whistle the match. He will be assisted by his compatriots Mr. Mahbod Beidi and Mr. Andreas Söderkvist, with fourth official Mr. Kristoffer Karlsson also from Sweden. The VAR is Englishman Mr. Jarred Gillett, assisted by Germany’s Mr. Robert Schröder. The UEFA referee observer is Turkey’s Mr. Barış Şimşek and the UEFA delegate is Hungary’s Mr. Balázs Makray.
The 37-year-old UEFA elite referee from Borlänge has been blowing the whistle at the highest level in his country since 2013 and has been a FIFA referee for ten years. It will be the first time he referees a Club Brugge match. Mr. Nyberg does have experience with Belgian teams: earlier this season he refereed Union Saint‑Gilloise vs. Inter Milan, which ended 0-4, and he has also refereed matches involving KRC Genk. For Club Brugge this will be their 14th European match with a Swedish referee.