What! A! Game! An exuberant Jan Breydel was witness to a stunning masterpiece between Club Brugge and FC Barcelona, game ending in a 3-3 draw. The hosts claimed the lead at three occasions, first through Tresoldi followed up by a Forbs brace, but a fiery Barça managed to put the score in balance on each occasion. An absolute upset seemed in the making by the very end of the game as Vermant seemed to put Club ahead once more, but his winning goal was cancelled out.
The team that had beaten Dender on the weekend was changed in one position, as Raphael Onyedika was given the nod at the expense of Romeo Vermant, allowing skipper Hans Vanaken – in his 100th European game – to reclaim his favoured position spearheading midfield. Tresoldi started out as the lone forward again, assisted by Forbs and Tzolis on the wings.
Barça brought a star studded selection to Jan Breydel, but Club was unfased and started out in style. Just one minute in, Tzolis threatened a first time, but Szczesny had no trouble denying his shot. A confident Club kept coming, and five minutes later on, the joint was set ablaze a first time: Forbs cleverly sent through by Sabbe on the right, teeing up Tresoldi in front of goal to slide in the 1-0. Club's joy was short-lived, however, as a great Spanish attack through Yamal and Fermín López found Ferran Torres in front of goal, tapping in the equaliser.
The Spaniards immediately pushed on: thus López curled the leather against the outside of the post, while an effort by Rashford whizzed half a meter over the cross. Blauw-Zwart escaped with a scare and struck mercilessly after a quarter of an hour. After a lightning-fast counter, Tzolis launched Carlos Forbs. The Portuguese turned on his turbo again, stormed towards Szczesny and curled the 2-1 beautifully into the goal.
The visitors now insisted even more, and were unlucky as López saw his curled shot meet with the outside of the post, while a Rashford attempt went over. A lucky escape for Club, striking mercilessly again after a good fifteen minutes. A razor sharp counter went from Mechele to Vanaken, finding Forbs in the centre of the pitch with a great through ball. The ball then went in two touches off Tzolis back to Forbs, going for goal and putting it past Szczesny to make it an ubelievable 2-1 intermediate score. How about that!
Barcelona then regained command and created several chances for the equalizer: a shot by Rashford went wide, a shot by Koundé licked the top of the crossbar and Jackers parried a shot by Rashford again. Club defended well in block and occasionally tried to poke against. Szczesny had to save on a shot by Tzolis and moments later Vanaken just could not serve the Greek. On the stroke of half-time Blauw-Zwart got away well when Torres was unable to convert a quick counter.
After the break, the first danger came again from the Brugge players: Seys tried from an acute angle, but Szczesny saved. On the other side, Jackers also had to show his ability on attempts by Lopez and Yamal. On the hour Hansi Flick brought in two more world class players: Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski. That injection of quality immediately paid off for Barça. First a blast from Garcia burst onto the crossbar, but immediately after that Lamine Yamal picked up a great move that he also subtly finished himself.
Club immediately tried to respond, but Forbs missed the chance to make it 3-2. Not to worry because a minute later it was still on target. Vanaken launched the Portuguese express train again and the Portuguese stabbed the third Bruges goal into the net. Ten minutes later referee Taylor pointed to the spot after a foul on Forbs, but after viewing the footage he reversed his decision as the Portuguese lay down too eagerly. No final shot for Barcelona, who continued to create danger mainly through Yamal. Jackers first saved his shot in the top corner and then saw another attempt fly over the goal.
A quarter of an hour before time, the Spanish prodigy succeeded. Yamal curled the ball towards goal and via the head of Tzolis the 3-3 went in. In the closing stages it remained unusually exciting. At the start of injury time Blauw-Zwart seemed to have pulled off its stunt, but that was not counting on English ref Taylor. Vermant was able to punish a blunder by Szczesny, but after reviewing the footage the goal was disallowed and it remained 3-3. Club Brugge thus takes its fourth point in the Champions League.
UEFA Champions League - Match day 4
Audience: 29,042 - Jan Breydelstadion
Referee: Mr. Anthony Taylor (Eng)
Club Brugge: Nordin Jackers - Kyriani Sabbe, Joel Ordóñez, Brandon Mechele, Joaquin Seys - Aleksandar Stanković, Raphaël Onyedika (84' Lynnt Audoor, 87' Hugo Vetlesen), Hans Vanaken, Romeo Vermant - Carlos Forbs (78' Mamadou Diakhon), Nicolò Tresoldi (78' Romeo Vermant), Christos Tzolis.
Bench: Dani van den Heuvel, Axl De Corte, Zaid Romero, Hugo Vetlesen, Cisse Sandra, Gustaf Nilsson, Hugo Siquet, Jorne Spileers and Shandre Campbell.
Coach: Nicky Hayen.
FC Barcelona: Wojciech Szczesny - Jules Koundé, Ronald Araújo, Eric García (90+3' Pau Cubarsi), Alejandro Balde (90+3' Gerard Martin) - Frenkie De Jong, Marc Casadó (58' Dani Olmo) - Lamine Yamal, Fermín López, Marcus Rashford (83' Roony Bardghji) - Ferran Torres (58' Robert Lewandowski).
Coach: Hansi Flick.
Yellow: Onyedika, Koundé, Diakhon, Yamal, Lopez.
Red: none
Goals: 6' Tresoldi (1-0), 7' Torres (1-1), 17' Forbs (2-1), 61' Yamal (2-2), 63' Forbs (3-2), 77' Tzolis (owngoal, 3-3).