Atletico Madrid vs Club Brugge Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Champions League | Knockout Playoffs

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Atletico Madrid will be nervous ahead of their UEFA Champions League knockout playoff round second-leg against Club Brugge at the Metropolitano this week.

Kick-off date/time: 24 February 2026 at 5:45 pm

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Atletico Madrid preview: Worried Atleti

Diego Simeone and his Atletico Madrid side have put in some excellent performances over the course of this season but Los Rojiblancos have been far too inconsistent and their floor is way too low for a team that has spent the money that they have.

The hosts do come into this one on the back of a much-needed and once again surprisingly entertaining 4-2 defeat of Espanyol in the Spanish capital at the weekend with a brace from Alexander Sorloth inspiring them to victory.

Club Brugge preview: Entertaining Club Brugge

Club Brugge come into this one on the back of a 2-1 defeat of Oud-Heverlee Leuven in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League as they sit tucked inside the top three domestically, extending their good run of form to just one loss in eight matches thus far.

The Belgian giants have been playing well of late and their peak is always a concern for some of the bigger sides, as was the case for Atletico last week as well as for Barcelona back in the league phase at the Jan Breydel Stadion.

Atletico Madrid team news: Sorloth lays claim

Alexander Sorloth’s performance at the weekend should ensure he gets the nod up-front alongside Julian Alvarez, ahead of the fading force of Antoine Griezmann.

Predicted XI (4-4-2): Oblak; Molina, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Koke, Llorente, Lookman; Alvarez, Sorloth

Unavailable: Barrios (Injured)

Questionable: Gonzalez (Injured)

Club Brugge team news: Onyedika suspended

Club Brugge have to deal with a massive issue for this one as Raphael Onyedika is missing through suspension. Carlos Forbs has, though, returned from injury earlier than expected.

Predicted XI (4-3-3): Mignolet; Sabbe, Ordonez, Mechele, Seys; Stankovic, Lemarechal, Vanaken; Tzolis, Tresoldi, Diakhon

Unavailable: Onyedika (Suspended), Van Den Heuvel (Injured), Audoor (Injured)

Questionable: Reis (Illness), Sandra (Illness), Spileers (Illness)

Atletico Madrid vs Club Brugge prediction

The first-leg of this thrilling knockout playoff round tie was a topsy turvy encounter that eventually finished up at three goals apiece, which is the same scoreline that Club Brugge shared with Barca in that aforementioned league phase clash. Atletico will be concerned that teams that defend deep again them are immensely frustrating for them to break down and the Belgians will be slick on the counter-attack – and so backing the visitors to pose a major threat seems a good shout here.

Atletico Madrid vs Club Brugge Tip: Club Brugge to score one or more goal