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Showing why they deserve a playoff ticket, Club Brugge produced a clinical display to stun Atalanta 3-1 in Bergamo, advancing to the Champions League‘s last 16 with a 5-2 aggregate victory. The Belgians ended their seven-game winless run against Italian opposition in style, thanks to a clinical counter-attacking performance.
Atalanta began brightly, with Sead Kolasinac heading over from Juan Cuadrado’s corner inside two minutes. The hosts’ early pressure was evident, but Club Brugge soon took control, with Ardon Jashari starting a move that would result in Chemsdine Talbi’s superb opener. Jashari’s impudent backheel dispossessed Ederson, before Hans Vanaken’s sweeping pass found Ferran Jutgla, who fed Talbi for the 19-year-old to hammer home.
Leading with two goals on aggregate, Club Brugge looked settled, but Atalanta threatened to get back into the tie. Mateo Retegui’s finish was ruled out for offside, while Éderson’s attempted dink was thwarted by Simon Mignolet. However, the Belgians doubled their tally on the night, with Talbi claiming his brace after Christos Tzolis’s shot was saved by Marco Carnesecchi.
Atalanta pushed hard for a way back into the tie, with Davide Zappacosta, Mario Pasalic, and Cuadrado all going close in the first-half stoppage time, but Club Brugge’s counter-attacking threat proved instrumental once more. Vanaken set Tzolis away, with the Greece international picking out Jutgla, who controlled the ball adeptly before thumping it in on the half-volley from over 20 yards.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s decision to bring on Ademola Lookman at half-time paid off immediately, as the Nigerian diverted Zappacosta’s cross home. Meanwhile, Lookman had the chance to double his tally and halve the deficit from the spot, but his penalty was brilliantly saved by Mignolet after Tzolis was adjudged to have hauled Cuadrado to the ground.
Club Brugge comfortably saw out the contest, with Atalanta’s frustration compounded late on as skipper Rafael Toloi was sent off for knocking over Maxim De Cuyper. The win capped a memorable night for Club Brugge, who now look forward to a potential tie against either Lille or Aston Villa next month.
Atalanta’s wait for consecutive Champions League home wins goes on, while Club Brugge can take delight in their win against all odds. The Belgians’ clinical display obviously proved too much for the Italians to handle on night, and will now focus on their domestic campaign.
