Atlético Madrid are clinging to the Metropolitano as their biggest weapon after a chaotic 3-3 draw away to Club Brugge left their Champions League playoff tie wide open.
Atlético’s Metropolitano: The Stage for a Do-or-Die Brugge Encounter
With six days remaining until the second leg, Atlético know they had Brugge on the ropes — only for the Belgian side to fight back twice and escape with a result that keeps their hopes alive of knocking Simeone’s team out on the road to the round of 16.
Despite the frustration, Atlético still have reasons for optimism. Their most recent home match ended in a 4-0 win, a performance that showed their most convincing version.
And in this season’s Champions League, previous results at the Metropolitano against teams such as Eintracht Frankfurt, Union SG and Inter Milan suggest they have the tools to finish the job in Madrid.
Even with the game scheduled for Tuesday at 18:45, a full house is expected — and Atlético will need that atmosphere to lift them.
One of the key differences is Atlético’s reliability in knockout competitions. Beyond the three goals scored against Brugge, they have also hit five and four goals in their last two Copa matches against Betis and Barcelona.
That attacking punch has been missing in La Liga, where Atlético have taken just one point from their last nine and failed to score in any of those three matches against Levante, Betis and Rayo Vallecano.
However, Atlético know it cannot be only about goals. Brugge once again showed they have teeth — after already scoring three against Barcelona in this same stadium, they repeated the feat against Atlético, and it could have been worse if not for the dependability of Jan Oblak.
Marc Pubill also stood out with a resilient display, strengthening his status as one of Atlético’s most reliable defensive options ahead of the decisive night in Madrid.
Speaking to the media at the Belgian stadium, Pubill admitted the squad left with mixed emotions.
“We came to win and we knew it wouldn’t be easy,” he said. “We leave with a bittersweet feeling. But we have the second leg at home, and I’m sure we’ll get through.”
He also acknowledged the mistakes that allowed Brugge to come back twice.
“We’re going to analyse what we did wrong to improve and win the return match,” Pubill added, before underlining what he believes will make the difference.
“The home leg will be key. Our fans will die for us.”
