Barcelona were pushed to their limits in Belgium as Club Brugge produced a spirited performance to hold the Catalan giants to a dramatic 3-3 draw in the Champions League. Hansi Flick’s men were forced to chase the game repeatedly.
They only managed to salvage a point through grit and flashes of brilliance from teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. Brugge stunned the visitors early on. They took the lead within six minutes through Nicolo Tresoldi after a rapid break from Carlos Forbs.
The home side’s intensity unsettled Barcelona. But Ferran Torres quickly restored parity with a neat finish following Fermin Lopez’s clever setup. Despite the equaliser, Barca’s defensive vulnerability was glaring. Forbs repeatedly tore through their high line.
He finally reclaimed Brugge’s lead midway through the first half. Barcelona came close several times. Fermin Lopez struck the post, while both Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia hit the woodwork. But none of them could find control in a chaotic first hour.
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Yamal then lit up the Jan Breydel Stadium with a moment of pure brilliance. He weaved past defenders before combining with Lopez to slot home Barcelona’s second equaliser. The 17-year-old’s composure and flair drew comparisons to Lionel Messi another time.
Yamal’s brilliance fell short as Forbs wasn’t nearly done tormenting the Catalans. The Portuguese winger’s pace and directness caused constant panic. He once again punished Barcelona’s high-risk approach by running onto Hans Vanaken’s pass. He dinked past Wojciech Szczesny for Brugge’s third.
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He could have had a hat-trick. But a potential penalty was overturned after VAR ruled he initiated contact with Alejandro Balde. Barcelona equalised for the third time when Yamal’s curling cross deflected off Christos Tzolis and into the net. Moments later, Brugge thought they had secured a historic win through a Romeo Vermant goal.
However, VAR intervened to rule it out as a foul on Wojciech Szczesny. The result leaves Flick’s side with gaping questions over their defensive structure. Meanwhile, Brugge left the pitch proud yet frustrated. They led thrice only to be denied by resilience. Both sides finished with identical stats, showing how much the mighty Spanish giants need to improve to set their footprint in this tournament.
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