An intriguing Champions League playoff tie kicks off in Bruges on Wednesday night, as Atlético Madrid visit the Jan Breydelstadion to face Club Brugge.
Diego Simeone’s side are aiming to banish a few demons in this season’s competition, with their reputation on the continental stage beginning to fade. While they’ve reached two Champions League finals under the Argentine’s watch, Atléti haven’t been as far as the last four since 2016–17.
They missed a great opportunity two seasons ago, losing to Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals, and were harshly eliminated on penalties to their city rivals Real in the round of 16 last time out.
Their wild inconsistency suggests this Atléti team are outsiders to complete a European conquest this go around, and they’ve got a sneaky tough test to merely progress into the last 16.
Club Brugge took a risk by parting ways with Nicky Hayen towards the end of 2025, but his successor, Ivan Leko, has built on Hayen’s sturdy foundations. A 3–0 victory over Marseille on the final day of the league phase ensured the Belgians progressed, and now they’re aiming to stage a big playoff upset.
Brugge bypassed Atalanta at this stage of the competition a year ago, and they’ve already shown that they can hang with Europe’s best.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s guide to Wednesday’s Champions League clash.
What Time Does Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid Kick-Off?
- Location: Bruges, Belgium
- Stadium: Jan Breydelstadion
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18
- Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
- Referee: Glenn Nyberg (SWE)
- VAR: Jarred Gillett (ENG)
Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid Head-to-Head Record (Last Fiv Games)
- Club Brugge: 1 win
- Atlético Madrid: 2 wins
- Draws: 2
- Last meeting: Atlético Madrid 0–0 Club Brugge (Oct. 12, 2022)—Champions League
Current Form (All Competitions, Last Five Games)
| Club Brugge (WWLWW) | Atlético Madrid (LWLWD) |
|---|---|
| Cercle Brugge 1–2 Club Brugge | Rayo Vallecano 3–0 Atlético Madrid |
| Club Brugge 3–0 Standard Liege | Atlético Madrid 4–0 Barcelona |
| Union Saint-Gilloise 1–0 Club Brugge | Atlético Madrid 0–1 Real Betis |
| Club Brugge 3–0 Marseille | Real Betis 0–5 Atlético Madrid |
| Club Brugge 4–3 Zulte Waregem | Levante 0–0 Atlético Madrid |
How to Watch Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid on TV
| Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | discovery+, discovery+ App, TNT Sports 3 |
| United States | CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, fuboTV, DAZN USA |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, DAZN Fast |
| Mexico | FOX One |
Club Brugge Team News
Captain Hans Vanaken will have to be careful in the first leg, as he’s a yellow card away from serving a one-game suspension. If he’s booked on Wednesday night, he’ll miss the trip to Madrid next week.
The Belgian will start ahead of a stern midfield pivot comprising Aleksandar Stanković, who’s garnering transfer buzz, and Raphael Onyedika. Carlos Forbs tormented Barcelona during their league phase duel in November, while Romeo Vermant has made the No. 9 role his own under Leko.
On the injury front, goalkeeper Dani Van den Heuvel is set to miss out, and Lynnt Audoor is a doubt.
Club Brugge Predicted Lineup vs. Atlético Madrid
Club Brugge predicted lineup vs. Atlético Madrid (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Sabbe, Ordoñez, Mechele, Seys; Stanković, Onyedika; Forbs, Vanaken, Tzolis, Vermant.
Atlético Madrid Team News
The visitors are without midfielder Pablo Barrios due to a thigh injury, but summer arrival Johnny Cardoso has played a more prominent role in 2026, and the USMNT international is set to partner Koke in Simeone’s engine room.
Nico González is also poised to miss out after reportedly sustaining a muscle injury in Sunday’s defeat to Rayo Vallecano.
Ademola Lookman has hit the ground running since joining the club in the winter transfer window, and he’ll make his Champions League bow for Atléti on Wednesday night. Lookman’s Atalanta were knocked out of the competition by Brugge at this stage last season.
Julián Alvarez, Antoine Griezmann and Marcos Llorente will also be back in the starting lineup, having earned respite at the weekend for their Copa del Rey heroics.
Atlético Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Club Brugge
Atlético Madrid predicted lineup vs. Club Brugge (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Cardoso, Koke, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez.
Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid Score Prediction
Simeone’s side are no longer a rugged, robust outfit capable of sucking the life out of games as they once did. However, when the pressure ramps up on European nights, the Argentine reverts to type, and caution permeates through his team.
The visitors would be taking a risk with a conservative stance on Wednesday night. Brugge are no giant, but they’re a dangerous, well-balanced unit and more than capable of wreaking havoc against this Atléti team.
Thus, the La Liga outfit may well have work to do on home soil next week.
Prediction: Club Brugge 2–1 Atlético Madrid
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Club Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
