With home advantage but inconsistent form and a series of stumbles in all competitions, Atalanta are under huge pressure ahead of their match against Club Brugge, although in theory, the home team at Gewiss Stadium is rated higher than the Belgian team. The 1-2 loss in the first leg last week left a big psychological scar on coach Gian Pierro Gasperini's players.
Chemsdine Talbi is the youngest Belgian player to score in a Champions League knockout match
The ball had only been rolling for 3 minutes when goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi's net shook after Chemsdine Talbi scored. This 19-year-old Belgian striker doubled the gap himself in the 27th minute for Club Brugge with a close-range rebound.
Talbi doubled the gap after more than half an hour of play.
Still reeling from the consecutive defeats, Atalanta conceded a third goal in the 45+3 minute of injury time after a finish by Ferran Jutgla, a former La Masia graduate. The aggregate score after two matches so far is 5-1 in favor of Club Brugge, something that not many people expected in the play-off series.
Ferran Jutgla scored the decisive goal for Atalanta's "fate"
Ademola Lookman was brought on the field and with his first touch, the Nigerian "killer" scored a goal to reduce the score to 1-3 (2-5) for Atalanta. Lookman himself had the chance to narrow the gap again in the 61st minute but he missed the penalty, almost closing the door to the Serie A representative's progression.
Ademola Lookman scored but also missed a penalty
Atalanta failed to score any more goals in the second half, even having to play with one less man after Toloi received a red card. Defeat was inevitable and last season's Europa League champions lost 2-5 on aggregate to Club Brugge, officially exiting the Champions League.
Blub Brugge's joy of victory
Not only Atlanta, fellow countrymen AC Milan were also eliminated despite holding Feyenoord 1-1 in the second leg but losing 1-2 on aggregate after two play-off matches. Santi Jimenez scored the opening goal for AC Milan in the 37th second but on a bad day, the home team's strikers could not deepen the gap to overcome.
Santi Jimenez scores against former club Feyenoord
Theo Hernandez received a second yellow card in the 51st minute for diving and AC Milan were reduced to 10 men for most of the second half. Taking advantage of their opponents' shorthanded play, Feyenoord pushed up their attack and equalized in the 73rd minute through Julian Carranza.
Julian Carranza scores, Feyenoord enters Champions League round of 16
AC Milan played more and more chaotically and could not score more goals, even when the opponent also lost a man in the 90+7 minute (Givaairo Reed). After being held to a 1-1 draw in the second leg, AC Milan was officially eliminated after losing to Feyenoord with a total score of 1-2 after 2 matches.
Benfica drew 3-3 with Monaco in the second leg but, having beaten the Principality team 1-0 in the first leg, secured a ticket to the Champions League round of 16.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/atalanta-thua-tan-tac-ac-milan-dung-buoc-vong-play-off-champions-league-19625021907431178.htm
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