Alexander Sørloth’s hat-trick brings Atletico Madrid to eliminate Belgian representatives in the Champions League Playoffs

Atlético Madrid ensure a ticket to the knockout phase League Champion after winning a landslide with a score of 4-1 (aggregate 7-4) over Bruges Club in the second leg of the playoff match which was held at the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano, Wednesday (25/2) early morning.

Alexander Sørloth became the host’s hero with three goals that determined the direction of the match.

From the start, the hosts played at a high tempo and applied consistent pressure making it difficult for Club Brugge in their own defensive area.

Atleti’s opening goal came in the 23rd minute. Sørloth received the ball on the left side of the penalty box and fired a hard shot with his left foot that the opposing goalkeeper couldn’t reach. The assist was recorded in the name of Jan Oblak, a rare assist contribution from a goalkeeper!

The visitors had time to respond before halftime in the 38th minute, Joel Ordóñez managed to equalize the score at 1-1 with a close-range header using a corner kick from Brandon Mechele’s ball. The return goal changed the rhythm of the match and gave hope to the visiting team.

However, it turned out that this momentum did not last long.

Atleti’s Quick Response After the Break

The second half had only been running for three minutes when Atlético Madrid regained the lead on the scoreboard. Johnny Cardoso fired a hard right-footed shot from outside the penalty box in the 48th minute. The ball shot into the left corner of the goal and broke into the visitors’ goal again, the hosts were back in front, score 2-1.

Atlético remained calmer in controlling the game, while Club Brugge began to lose strategy when trying to catch up.

In the 76th minute, Sørloth finally scored his second goal. He grabbed the ball in the middle of the penalty box and directed the ball into the top right corner of the goal. This goal widened the gap, the score was 3-1 and automatically immediately lowered the mentality of the visiting team.

Sørloth perfected his action in this match in the 87th minute. At that time, Matteo Ruggeri’s cross from a corner was met with a shot from close range which again tore the goal in the top right corner. The hat-trick ensured a final score of 4-1 and sealed Atlético’s ticket to the knock-out phase.

Effectiveness is the Differentiator

Judging from ball possession, Club Brugge is actually slightly superior with 55 percent compared to the 45 percent produced by Atlético. However, effectiveness is the main differentiator.

Of host Atleti’s 14 attempts, five of them were on target and resulted in four goals. Meanwhile the visiting team fired 11 shots, but were not sharp enough to match the home team’s productivity.

Sørloth has now recorded a total of five goals in nine Champions League matches this season. His contribution in the deciding match emphasized his role in the team’s attack scheme for Los Rojiblancos.

This victory also shows Atlético’s ability to face high-pressure matches. When they did not fully control possession of the ball, Diego Simeone’s men were still able to control the flow of the match through clinical finishing and quick responses after conceding. If they are in the knockout phase like this, efficiency is often more decisive than statistical dominance.

The referee finally blew the long whistle to end the match after extra time ended. At the Metropolitano, Atlético not only won big, but also showed the maturity needed to go further.