Club Brugge secured a dramatic 2-1 win over Atalanta in the first leg of their Champions League playoff, but the match ended in controversy following a stoppage-time penalty decision that left the Italian side livid.
Atalanta entered the match missing several key players, including Matteo Ruggeri, Ademola Lookman, and Gianluca Scamacca, while goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi was battling flu symptoms. Despite these absences, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men aimed to overcome a Club Brugge side that had impressed in the group stages with wins over Aston Villa and Sporting.
The Belgian hosts started aggressively, with Christos Tzolis causing problems on the counterattack. Their pressure paid off in the 15th minute when Chemsdine Talbi intercepted a lax pass from Stefan Posch and set up Ferran Jutglà, who smashed the ball into the net to give Brugge a deserved lead.
Struggling to gain control early on, Atalanta gradually grew into the game as Brugge’s pressing intensity waned. Mateo Retegui came close with a drilled effort before Davide Zappacosta delivered a pinpoint cross for Mario Pasalic, whose looping header found the far top corner to equalize just before halftime.
The second half saw both teams create chances. Brugge nearly regained the lead when Maxim De Cuyper’s effort narrowly missed after a chaotic sequence in Atalanta’s box. Gasperini responded with substitutions that almost turned the tide: Juan Cuadrado forced a desperate save with a back-post header, and Lazar Samardzic missed a golden one-on-one opportunity against Simon Mignolet.
Charles De Ketelaere, returning to his boyhood club as an Atalanta player, also came close with a powerful strike that stung Mignolet’s gloves. Cuadrado had another chance late on but fired straight at the Brugge goalkeeper.
The match took a controversial turn in stoppage time when Isak Hien was penalized for what appeared to be minimal contact on Gustaf Nilsson as he intercepted a through ball. Referee Umut Teler deemed it sufficient for a penalty despite Hien’s visible disbelief and Gasperini’s outrage. VAR upheld the decision due to the presence of contact, however slight. Nilsson stepped up and converted from the spot, sealing Brugge’s victory.
Atalanta players and staff were visibly furious after the final whistle, with tensions running high following what they considered an unjust decision. The result leaves them needing a strong performance in the second leg to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
This controversial ending overshadowed an otherwise thrilling encounter, setting up an intense rematch between these two sides.
Goals: Jutglà 15 (CB), Pasalic 41 (A), Nilsson pen 94 (CB)
Club Brugge (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Seys, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper; Onyedika, Jashari; Talbi (86′ Siquet), Vanaken, Tzolis (70′ Nilsson); Jutgla (86′ Vetlesen).
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Rui Patricio; Posch (71′ Toloi), Hien, Djimsiti; Bellanova (63′ Cuadrado), de Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta (86′ Palestra); Pasalic (63′ Samardzic); De Ketelaere, Retegui (71′ Brescianini).
