Club Brugge had to dig deep to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Europa League 2024 champions, Atalanta, on Wednesday night to boost their chances of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.
Atalanta appeared to be heading for a draw after Mario Pasalic’s fine header four minutes before half-time cancelled Ferran Jutglà’s superb opener for the hosts.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, Antonio Nilsson won and converted a controversial late penalty at the Jan Breydel Stadium, sparking celebrations among the home fans and fury from the visitors.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini stormed down the tunnel before the final whistle in frustration, while his players continued to protest the decision, earning multiple yellow cards from referee Umut Meler.
The contentious moment occurred when Nilsson went down after minimal contact from Isak Hien, who barely grazed his face with his fingers while running to retrieve the ball in his penalty area. Hien was left in disbelief when Meler pointed to the spot, allowing Nilsson to seal Brugge’s victory.
“All I saw was arrogance from the referee. If you tried to talk to him, he just handed out yellow after yellow,” lamented Charles De Ketelaere, whose return to his hometown and boyhood club was overshadowed by the late penalty incident.
“I’ve seen the footage, and if you asked 100 people whether that was a penalty, all 100 would say no. It’s very strange. Losing like this hurts, and it’s definitely not right.”
With a narrow lead, Club Brugge will travel to Bergamo for next Tuesday’s second leg, where Atalanta will be determined to overturn the deficit. The winner of the tie will face either Aston Villa or Lille in the next round.
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