Atlético Madrid delivered a commanding performance to defeat Club Brugge 4-1 in the second-leg playoff, securing their place in the Champions League last 16. This victory sealed a 7-4 aggregate triumph after the tie was evenly balanced at 3-3 from the first leg.
Alexander Sørloth was the star of the night, scoring a hat trick as Atlético Madrid secured their advancement. The Norway striker opened the scoring at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano after 23 minutes, racing onto Jan Oblak's long kick and firing a fierce left-footed shot that squirmed underneath Club Brugge's goalkeeper. While Club Brugge briefly equalized through Joel Ordóñez, Atlético regained control and Sørloth finished the job with two more goals to seal the victory.
Johnny Cardoso also starred, firing in a stunning long-range effort that gave Atlético a crucial lead after Brugge's equalizer. Sørloth added two more goals to complete his treble and put the result beyond doubt, as Los Colchoneros dominated the second half. Diego Simeone's side controlled possession and carved out multiple chances throughout, similar to how Arsenal dismantled Tottenham with a dominant 4-1 performance. Atlético is now ready to face stronger competition in the round of 16, where they'll look to maintain this championship-winning form.