Club Brugge 3-3 Barcelona

Barcelona were held by Club Brugge to a memorable draw yesterday at the Jan Breydel Stadium yesterday and as a matter of fact, it might have been Barcelona who held the Belgian side to a draw as Brugge had chance after chance after chance to score with Barca’s offside trap not particularly effective during the match, leaving them rather exposed at the back. It took an own goal from Christos Tzolis in the 77th minute for Barca to get something out of the match, showing how valiantly Brugge fought in a match most expected them to lose.

In the absence of Pedri due to injury, Marc Casado started beside Frenkie De Jong in the pivot with Fermin Lopez in the attacking midfield position, hoping to continue his impressive form. Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford started either side of Ferran Torres in the front 3. Aleksandar Stankovic started alongside Raphael Onyedika in the double pivot for Brugge with Hans Vanaken in the number 10 position. Nicolo Tresoldi, Carlos Forbs and Christos Tzolis who scored in the wrong goal made up the front three for the Belgian outfit.

From minute 1, the match between Club Brugge and FC Barcelona was a chaotic, high-tempo encounter that showcased Barcelona’s attacking brilliance but laid bare their significant defensive vulnerabilities. Despite the Spanish side dominating possession with 79% at halftime, they were repeatedly punished by the hosts’ blistering counterattacks, resulting in a six-goal thriller that finished 3-3.

The tone was set in the 6th minute when Club Brugge shocked the visitors by taking an early lead. The goal originated from a lightning-fast counterattack that exploited the space behind Barcelona’s infamously high defensive line. Carlos Forbs was the architect, beating the offside trap and setting up Nicolo Tresoldi, who easily fired the ball past goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny to make it 1-0.

However, Barcelona’s response was immediate and effective. Just two minutes later, in the 8th minute, they hit back to equalize. Fermín López threaded a pass through the defence, finding Ferran Torres, who guided a right-footed effort past Nordin Jackers from close range to make the score 1-1. The frenetic start suggested an open game, but Barcelona’s joy was short-lived.

In the 17th minute, Brugge retook the lead, proving that the early goal was no fluke. On yet another quick transition, Carlos Forbs, the man who assisted the opener, ran in behind the static Barcelona defence, played a quick one-two with Christos Tzolis, and expertly finished past Szczęsny to make it 2-1. Forbs’ speed and movement proved devastating against the high line throughout the night.

For the remainder of the first half, Barcelona ramped up the pressure, dominating the ball but struggling to find the final incision needed to break down the resilient Brugge defence. They came agonizingly close in the 28th minute when Jules Koundé hit the woodwork with a spectacular long-range strike. Despite having 79% possession, the score remained 2-1 to Brugge at the halftime whistle, reflecting the hosts’ clinical efficiency on the counter.

The second half began with both teams maintaining the high intensity. In the 48th minute, Brugge reminded Barcelona of the danger as Joaquin Seys was played through, forcing Szczęsny into a save at his near post. Barcelona kept pushing, and the woodwork was struck again in the 53rd minute when Eric García’s stunning drive from 30 yards smashed against the crossbar. One minute later, Barcelona squandered a golden opportunity when Lamine Yamal was denied a clear equalizer, firing straight at Jackers with only the keeper to beat.

Yamal, however, was not deterred. In the 60th minute, the young Spaniard produced a moment of individual brilliance that brought the scores level again at 2-2. He weaved his way through defenders, executed a brilliant one-two with a deft back-heel from Fermín López, and finished superbly past Jackers.

Just as the momentum seemed to be swinging permanently to Barcelona, Brugge hit back instantly. After Forbs squandered a glaring chance in the 62nd minute, scooping a simple opportunity over the bar, he made amends only two minutes later. In the 64th minute, Carlos Forbs completed his brace, racing past a static Barcelona defence once more and dinking a delicate effort past Szczęsny for the third time, restoring the Belgian lead at 3-2.

The final 20 minutes saw unprecedented drama. In the 72nd minute, Brugge was initially awarded a penalty after Forbs went down under a challenge from Alejandro Balde. However, a crucial VAR review cancelled the penalty, ruling that Forbs had initiated the contact by bumping into the defender, providing a massive let-off for Barcelona.

The Spanish giants utilized this reprieve, finding an equalizer for the third time in the 77th minute. Lamine Yamal was again the catalyst, sending a curling shot/cross into the box that deflected off Brugge’s Christos Tzolis and into the net for an unfortunate own goal, leveling the score at 3-3.

The game descended into a frantic end, marked by substitutions and cards. Fermín López received a yellow card in the 83rd minute, shortly before he was one of two players substituted off for Barcelona. Club Brugge made their own changes in the 86th minute to tighten up.

The controversy was not finished, however. In the 90+1st minute, substitute Romeo Vermant appeared to score a dramatic late winner, seizing on a blunder by goalkeeper Szczęsny and slotting the ball home. The home crowd erupted, believing they had clinched a famous 4-3 victory. But yet another VAR review intervened in the 92nd minute, ruling the goal disallowed, judging that Vermant had fouled Szczęsny in the process of winning the ball. Barcelona managed their final changes in the 93rd minute and held on until the final whistle blew in the 96th minute, ending the match in a breathless 3-3 draw.