Hello, I am James Butler at the Jan Breydel Stadium, reporting for Atalanta in their first-leg tie against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League playoff round. The Belgian side come into this underdogs facing the current Europa League holders, who just narrowly missed out on automatic qualification to the next round. Brugge placed 24th, completing the next round by securing the last place.
Here is your Atalanta lineup for tonight:
This is our opponents’ lineup:
1′ We’re underway here in Brussels; let’s hope we are in for an exciting match. COME ON LA DEA!
7′ Brugge creates an overload on the counter, but Christian Tzolis selfishly takes it on for himself and fires his shot straight at Rui Patricio.
8′ Another warning for Atalanta, who cheaply concede possession. Brugge attacks as the ball falls for Tzolis in the box; his shot is again easy for Patricio.
Embed from Getty Images11′ Stefan Posch trips Joaquin Seys, the referee immediately delivering the first yellow card of the game.
15′ GOAL! Club Brugge 1-0 Atalanta. Ferran Jutgla gives the home side the lead Chelmsdine Talbi rolls it into the Spaniard, who takes a lovely first touch, sets up the volley, and fires past Patricio. The Bergamo have not started the way they would have intended
21′ Maxim De Cuyper delivers a teasing freekick into the box; it pinballs off the Atalanta defenders who turn it away for a corner. The pressure is seriously building on the Italian side.
25′ Davide Zappacosta takes Atalanta’s first shot of the game, attempting a volley that doesn’t come off.
28′ Atalanta are working their way back into this tie. A teasing cross by Raoul Bellanova is headed away, falling to Posch, who strikes from range, but Simon Mignolet is not troubled.
Embed from Getty Images30′ Brugge come close to doubling their lead! De Cuyper fires his shot from a tight angle into side-netting. Half the stadium thought he had scored.
40′ Mateo Retegui gets his first real chance of the game. He slips two defenders, but his shot just bends left of the post.
41′ GOAL! Club Brugge 1-1 Atalanta. Mario Pasalic gets his third goal of the campaign. A short corner sees Zappacosta deliver a beautiful cross towards the Croatian, who guides his header into the far corner. Game on. COME ON ATALANTA!
45′ Halftime! Club Brugge and Atalanta are one goal apiece at the interval. Brugge have been the more dominant side, going in front first and restricting Atalanta from playing their football. The Italian side began to find their rhythm after the half-hour mark, equalising minutes later. Bergamo needs to get their midfield more involved and try to dictate the tempo in this second half if they want to take a lead back to the Gewiss Stadium.
46′ We’re back underway here in Brussels after an entertaining first half; let’s hope for more of the same. FORZA LA DEA!
49′ Talbi with the first chance of the half-cutting inside of the right wing to blaze his shot over the bar.
53′ Atalanta are lucky to still be level! Brilliant play down the right as Talbi delivers beautifully into the box it knocks around before falling for De Cuyper, whose shot is inches away from the inside of the post.
Embed from Getty Images65′ A golden chance for Zappacosta! Juan Cuadrado’s deep cross is met by the Italian but his header is saved brilliantly onto the post by Mignolet! Seconds later Atalanta creates another clear-cut chance, which Lazar Samardzic rolls past the post.
70′ Both sides make changes. Gustaf Nilsson replaces Tzolis in Brugge’s first substitution. Meanwhile, Atalanta makes a double substitution.
77′ A much tamer second half as Atalanta looks comfortable enough to take a draw back to the home leg. I wouldn’t write this game off just yet as Brugge continues to press and look to find a winner.
Embed from Getty Images83′ A quick one-two between Samardzic and Charles De Ketalaere sets the striker up to shoot, but he chooses power over precision as Mignolet saves.
86′ More substitutes for both sides! Atalanta’s final change sees Zappacosta replaced by Marco Palestra.
89′ Cuadrado manages to carve out a shooting opportunity but fires straight into Mignolet’s chest.
90+1′ THE REFEREE HAS POINTED TO THE SPOT! Isak Hien and Nilsson have a tangle, but the contact seemed to be minimal. VAR will be looking into this one. Brugge could win it!
90+4′ GOAL! CLUB BRUGGE 2-1 ATALANTA! Nilsson wins the penalty, then scores it. He fires into the top left corner, sending Patricio the wrong way. Atalanta will be furious; they have a deficit to overturn when they return to Bergamo.
90+6′ Gian Pierre Gasperini is outraged. He brushes away the camera as he storms down the tunnel before the final whistle.
FULLTIME: CLUB BRUGGE 2-1 ATALANTA
Club Brugge against the odds, have won the first leg of this UEFA Champions League playoff round courtesy of goals from Ferran Jutgla and Gustaf Nilsson. A dominant first 45 from the Belgian side saw Atalanta shaken as they still managed to get an equaliser just before halftime. A more tame second half seemed to be ending level until the home side were awarded a penalty which Nilsson converted. Atalanta will feel confident they can overturn the deficit at home but Brugge have the upper hand with it all to play for at the Gewiss Stadium. Thank you for joining me for this coverage.
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