Good evening and welcome to all. My name is Aidan Elve and tonight I will be providing coverage of Club Brugge Vs Atalanta in the first leg of the intriguing UEFA Champions League knockout round, where the winner over the two legs will progress into the last 16 of the finest club competition in football.
Club Brugge come into this tie as the lowest ranked team remaining in the competition, as they scraped qualification in 24th place on goal difference.
Comparatively, Atalanta are the highest ranked team at this stage of the competition, as they finished ninth and just missed out on automatic qualification for the round of 16 of the Champions League.
Club Brugge’s lineup:
Mignolet, Mechele, Ordonez, De Cuyper, Seys, Onyedika, Jashari, Vanaken, Tzolis, Talbi, Jutgla
Embed from Getty ImagesPictured: Brugge captain Hans Vanaken, celebrating his Golden Shoe award last week (best player in Belgian first division)
Atalanta lineup:
Mateo Retegui, one of the most impressive strikers in European football this season, will be looking to add to his impressive tally of 23 goals this season in all competitions.
Embed from Getty Images1′ – We’re underway at the Jan Breydel Stadium!
5′ – It’s been a quiet start to the game as both teams maintain equal share of possession and no clear opportunities to score have been created yet.
7′ – Tzolis conducts the counter attack but his shot is tame and easily saved by Brugge goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
8′ – Brugge create another opportunity but Tzolis can’t reach the cross from the left wing.
15′ GOAL! 1-0 – Club Brugge take the lead through a superb volley from Spanish striker Ferran Jutgla. Chemsdine Talbi carried the ball down the right-hand side, before laying it to Jutgla’s feet. The former Barcelona player chips the ball up to himself before volleying home into the top corner. Superb!
Embed from Getty Images19′ – Atalanta captain Posch commits his second foul of the game on Brugge winger talbi, who has been a bright spark on the right wing thus far.
21′ – Talbi’s low freekick is blocked before rebounding to Vanaken, whose shot results in a corner.
25′ – Atalanta create a half-chance through Bellanova’s cross, which is deflected toward Zappacosta and the veteran Italian blasts the ball into row Z. Yikes.
28′ – Posch has a decent effort from outside of the box that is saved comfortably by Simon Mignolet.
30′ – De Cuyper fires an audacious effort from a tight angle into the side-netting. The Belgian side are coming closest to scoring again.
36′ – Retegui wins a free-kick in the opposition half after a foul from De Cuyper. The on-form Italian forward has yet to have a significant impact on this game so far.
40′ – Retegui has his biggest chance of the game where he strikes just wide of the post, with the outside of his foot. Good technique, unlucky outcome.
41′ GOAL! 1-1 – Atalanta equalise through Mario Pasalic! Zappacosta delivers a great cross into the box from the left towards the Croatian midfielder, who guides the header into the corner of the net. Arguably undeserved, but the Bergamo side are now back in this game. Game on!
Embed from Getty Images45′ – De Roon is fouled by Tzolis, who is lucky to escape without being the first name in the referee’s book.
HALF TIME – Club Brugge 1-1 Atalanta. The Belgian side started the better of the two teams, but Atalanta gradually grew into the game. Atalanta have the momentum and will be hopeful of going on to win this game and take an advantage back to Bergamo for the second leg. Will they be able to score again and win this game, or do Club Brugge have a trick up their sleeve?
46′ – We’re back underway!
49′ – The first chance of the second half falls to Talbi, after a pass from Tzolis – both men being the main threats for Brugge.
53′ – A dangerous shot from De Cuyper goes just past the post, after the electrifiyng Talbi crossed the ball from the right wing. Zappacosta imply cannot control Talbi, he’s dominating every 1v1!
59′ – Brugge gain a corner to the frustration of Bellanova and Rui Patricio, who exchange words with eachother.
59′ – Tzolis’ corner is ineffective and misses everyone in the box. Poor delivery.
62′ Substitutions – Gian Piero Gasperini blinks first and makes the first substitutions of the game, taking off Pasalic and Bellanova for Samardzic and Cuadrado.
65′ – Chance! Cuadrado almost has an instant impact through a fine cross to opposite fullback Zappacosta, whose header is saved brilliantly by Mignolet.
65′ – Shortly after the Zappacosta header, Samardzic finds himself through 1-on-1 with the keeper but places his shot wide of the post. Had to hit the target!
71′ – Gasperini makes another two substitutions, including taking off star-player Retegui, who was very disappointing tonight – for a player of his quality and the form he is in.
71′ – Club Brugge also make a change, bringing on top-scorer Nilsson.
75′ – The game seems to have dwindled, with both teams struggling to create whilst nullifying each other defensively.
83′ – Charles de Ketelaere shoots a decent effort that is saved by Mignolet and goes behind for a corner.
85′ – Zappacosta shoots well from outside of the box but fails to challenge the goalkeeper.
86′ – More substitutions are made by both teams.
89′ – Cuadrado cuts inside from the right and shoots rather disappointingly straight at Mignolet for an easy save. Poor placement on the shot.
91′ – PENALTY FOR BRUGGE! The referee has awarded a penalty after Nilsson took an arm to the face from Isak Hien. Incredibly soft, majorly controversial. Poor decision from the referee!
92′ – VAR has reviewed the decision and has decided to stick with the penalty!
93′ GOAL! 2-1 – Nilsson scores the penalty emphatically and surely secures a massive win for Club Brugge in the first leg of this tie! Rui Patricio dived the wrong way and Nilsson gets his 10th goal of the season.
Embed from Getty ImagesFULL TIME – Club Brugge 2-1 Atalanta.
Thank you for joining me this evening for my coverage of this exciting Champions League tie. A dramatic late goal for Club Brugge means that they take a one-goal advantage to Bergamo, where they will hope this is enough to get them through to the round of 16. The job is not finished, but the first part for Brugge is. A win was essential tonight and they delivered, albeit late and controversially. Atalanta will feel aggrieved and will surely seek revenge in the reverse fixture; it sets up a great second leg. The question is: who will succeed?
Thank you and goodnight!