Atletico Madrid and Club Brugge meet in a finely poised Champions League knockout play-off second leg on Tuesday, with the tie level at 3-3 after a thrilling first encounter in Belgium.
Atletico will look to make home advantage count at the Metropolitano as they chase a place in the last 16, while Brugge arrive in Madrid with an impressive run of domestic form and their late first-leg fightback.
Atletico Madrid vs Club Brugge – Match preview and team news
- Date: Tuesday, 24th February
- Kick-off: 5:45pm BST
- Venue: Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid
- Referee: Clement Turpin
- VAR: Jerome Brisard
- Last meeting: Club Brugge 3-3 Atletico Madrid, UEFA Champions League, 18th February 2026
Atletico Madrid team news
Atletico remain without midfielders Nicolas Gonzalez and Pablo Barrios, who are both sidelined with muscle and thigh injuries respectively, with their returns not expected until early March.
There are no suspension concerns for Diego Simeone’s side, meaning he is otherwise free to pick from his senior squad.
Alexander Sorloth comes into the game in outstanding form after scoring twice in Atletico’s 4-2 comeback win over Espanyol at the weekend.
Ademola Lookman has also made a fast start to life in Madrid, with four goals and two assists in his first six Atletico appearances across all competitions, and will certainly look to continue his form in this important UCL fixture.
Club Brugge team news
Club Brugge face a huge blow with star midfielder Raphael Onyedika suspended after his 76th‑minute booking in the first leg triggered a one‑match ban under UEFA’s disciplinary rules.
Goalkeeper Dani van den Heuvel and young midfielder Lynnt Audoor are expected to miss out again with ongoing injury issues.
In Onyedika’s absence, Aleksandar Stankovic is tipped to drop into the holding role, with Hans Vanaken providing creativity ahead of him.
Christos Tzolis, Nicolo Tresoldi and Mamadou Diakhon are all expected to retain their places in attack after combining to troubling effect in both Europe and the Belgian Pro League.
Form
Atletico Madrid: LWLDW
Atletico’s form remains patchy, with two wins, one draw and two defeats in their last five games in all competitions. That run includes a 0-1 home loss to Real Betis, a superb 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg win over Barcelona, a 3-0 defeat away to Rayo Vallecano, the 3-3 draw in Bruges and the 4-2 comeback victory against Espanyol.
Club Brugge: LWWDW
Brugge travel to Spain in good spirits after a 2-1 home win over OH Leuven on Saturday, sealed by second-half goals from Bjorn Meijer and Nicolo Tresoldi. That result followed a 3-3 draw against Atletico, a 2-1 away victory at city rivals Cercle Brugge, and a 3-0 home win over Standard Liege, which means they are currently on a four-match undefeated run.
Predicted lineups
Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Molina, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Koke, Llorente, Lookman; Sorloth, Alvarez
Club Brugge: Mignolet; Seys, Mechele, Ordonez, Sabbe; Vanaken, Vetlesen, Stankovic; Diakhon, Tresoldi, Tzolis
How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Club Brugge?
In the UK, Atletico Madrid vs Club Brugge will be shown live on TNT Sports 3.
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