Champions League | Atalanta 1-3 Club Brugge: Disastrous play-off for Dea | OneFootball

Atalanta were punished three times on the counter-attack, then after Ademola Lookman gave them hope, his penalty was parried to crash out of the Champions League against Club Brugge.

La Dea had to turn the first leg 2-1 defeat around, decided by a comically poor penalty decision in added time. Isak Hien joined Daniel Maldini, Odilon Kossounou, Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini on the absentee list, with Ademola Lookman only fit for the bench, but Sead Kolasinac returned to the starting XI. Brugge were only missing Bjorn Meijer and had done well in the league phase, beating Sturm Graz, Aston Villa and Sporting CP, holding Celtic and Juventus to draws.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog

It was the worst possible start, because after Kolasinac nodded a Juan Cuadrado corner just past the near post, Club Brugge struck with a classic counter-attack.

Jutglà picked a smart slide-rule pass to release Chemsdine Talbi, who took a touch and drilled the angled drive between Marten de Roon’s legs into the far bottom corner.

Mateo Retegui had the ball in the net on 17 minutes, but had started the run too early and was offside on Cuadrado’s roll across from the right.

Simon Mignolet rushed off his line to stop Ederson scoring from a Charles De Ketelaere pass, but it was Club Brugge who added another when Marco Carnesecchi made a great save on Christos Tzolis after the strong Ardon Jashari run, but could do nothing on the Talbi follow-up.

epa11906006 Brugge’s Chemsdine Talbi scores the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs 2nd leg match between Atalanta BC and Club Brugge KV at the Bergamo Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, 18 February 2025. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA

The confidence visibly sapped from the side that was now 4-1 down on aggregate, as Mario Pasalic, Cuadrado and Davide Zappacosta headers were straight at Mignolet.

Ferran Jutglà cut inside after a Jashari long ball and drilled wide of the far post, but the events of first half stoppages made Atalanta feel as if they’d been cursed.

In one single move, Zappacosta’s header hit the upright, a Pasalic effort was parried from point-blank range and the Cuadrado follow-up was cleared off the line by Mechele, then Club Brugge scored on the counter-attack with the powerful Jutglà strike from the edge of the area.

Lookman made his comeback for the restart and had an immediate impact, as within 45 seconds he had seen a shot charged down, then was at full stretch to prod the Zappacosta assist home from 12 yards and give Atalanta hope.

There was another mad scramble when Cuadrado was caught from behind by Tzolis and Ederson fired an effort against the upright, also handling. Following a very long VAR check and On-Field Review, the referee eventually awarded a penalty, which Mignolet saved from the very central Lookman attempt.

Atalanta kept pushing anyway, Lookman’s shot charged down and the Retegui follow-up parried by Mignolet at the near post, then the goalkeeper pushed a Lookman curler out of the far bottom corner.

As it became evident there would be no miraculous comeback, Rafael Toloi lost his head and was shown a straight red card for chasing down and trying to hit Maxim De Cuyper, who had gone for some gamesmanship with a nudge to slow down a throw-in.

Atalanta 1-3 Club Brugge (2-5 agg)

Talbi 3, 27 (B), Jutglà 45+3 (B), Lookman 46 (A)

Saved penalty: Lookman 61 (A)

Sent off: Toloi 87 (A)