Club Brugge Clash with Atletico Madrid: Battle Preview, Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed
A fascinating Champions League playoff encounter begins in Bruges on Wednesday evening, as Atlético Madrid travel to the Jan Breydelstadion to take on Club Brugge.
Diego Simeone's squad are looking to overcome some recent setbacks in this tournament, with their European prestige starting to diminish. Despite reaching two Champions League finals under the Argentine manager, Atlético haven't advanced beyond the semi-finals since the 2016–17 campaign.
They squandered an excellent chance two years back, falling to Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals, and were cruelly knocked out on spot-kicks by cross-town rivals Real Madrid in the round of 16 most recently.
Their erratic form indicates this Atlético squad are underdogs to achieve European glory this time around, and they face a deceptively challenging hurdle just to reach the round of 16.
Club Brugge made a bold decision by dismissing Nicky Hayen near the close of 2025, but his replacement, Ivan Leko, has continued building upon Hayen's solid groundwork. A commanding 3–0 triumph over Marseille on the final matchday of the league phase secured the Belgians' advancement, and now they're hoping to pull off a major playoff shock.
Brugge eliminated Atalanta at this competition stage twelve months ago, and they've already demonstrated their ability to compete with Europe's elite.
Here's Sports Illustrated's preview of Wednesday's Champions League encounter.
What Time Does Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid Kick-Off?
What Time Does Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid Kick-Off?
Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid Head-to-Head Record (Last Fiv Games)
Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid Head-to-Head Record (Last Fiv Games)
Current Form (All Competitions, Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions, Last Five Games)
Club Brugge (WWLWW) | Atlético Madrid (LWLWD) |
|---|---|
Cercle Brugge 1–2 Club Brugge | Rayo Vallecano 3–0 Atlético Madrid |
Club Brugge 3–0 Standard Liege | Atlético Madrid 4–0 Barcelona |
Union Saint-Gilloise 1–0 Club Brugge | Atlético Madrid 0–1 Real Betis |
Club Brugge 3–0 Marseille | Real Betis 0–5 Atlético Madrid |
Club Brugge 4–3 Zulte Waregem | Levante 0–0 Atlético Madrid |
How to Watch Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid on TV
How to Watch Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid on TV
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | discovery+, discovery+ App, TNT Sports 3 |
United States | CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, fuboTV, DAZN USA |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, DAZN Fast |
Mexico | FOX One |
Club Brugge Team News
Club Brugge Team News
Skipper Hans Vanaken must exercise caution in the opening leg, as he sits one booking away from a suspension. Should he receive a yellow card on Wednesday evening, he'll be absent for the return fixture in Madrid next week.
The Belgian will feature alongside a robust midfield partnership of Aleksandar Stanković, who's attracting transfer interest, and Raphael Onyedika. Carlos Forbs caused problems for Barcelona during their league phase meeting in November, while Romeo Vermant has established himself as Leko's preferred striker.
Regarding injuries, keeper Dani Van den Heuvel is expected to be unavailable, and Lynnt Audoor remains questionable.
Club Brugge Predicted Lineup vs. Atlético Madrid
Club Brugge Predicted Lineup vs. Atlético Madrid
Club Brugge expected lineup vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Sabbe, Ordoñez, Mechele, Seys; Stanković, Onyedika; Forbs, Vanaken, Tzolis, Vermant.
Atlético Madrid Team News
Atlético Madrid Team News
The away side will be missing midfielder Pablo Barrios through a thigh problem, but summer signing Johnny Cardoso has assumed a greater role in 2026, and the USMNT player is expected to partner Koke in Simeone's midfield.
Nico González is also likely to be sidelined after allegedly picking up a muscular issue in Sunday's loss to Rayo Vallecano.
Ademola Lookman has made an impressive start since his winter transfer window arrival, and he'll make his Champions League debut for Atlético on Wednesday evening. Lookman's former club Atalanta were eliminated from the tournament by Brugge at this stage last year.
Julián Alvarez, Antoine Griezmann and Marcos Llorente will also return to the starting eleven, having been rested at the weekend following their Copa del Rey efforts.
Atlético Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Club Brugge
Atlético Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Club Brugge
Atlético Madrid expected lineup vs. Club Brugge (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Cardoso, Koke, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez.
Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid Score Prediction
Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid Score Prediction
Simeone's team are no longer the defensively solid, disciplined side capable of grinding out results as they previously were. Nevertheless, when the stakes rise on European occasions, the Argentine manager returns to his roots, and defensive caution spreads throughout his squad.
The visitors would be gambling with an overly cautious approach on Wednesday evening. Brugge may not be a powerhouse, but they're a threatening, well-organized team and fully capable of causing problems for this Atlético side.
Therefore, the Spanish club may find themselves with significant work ahead in the return leg at home next week.