Club Brugge will take to the pitch against Atlético Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League playoff tie wearing special edition shirts featuring space for the names of blood donors, a gesture by sponsor Thermae Palace Hotel Oostende. The initiative, reported by Nieuwsblad, replaces the usual sponsor branding on the shirts for the crucial match in Madrid.
The first leg of the tie ended in a dramatic 3-3 draw in Bruges, with Club Brugge coach Ivan Leko expressing satisfaction despite feeling his team could have secured a win, as reported by Tribuna.com. Raphael Onyedika scored one goal and provided an assist in that match, but will be unavailable for the return leg due to accumulating yellow card suspensions. Leko lamented Onyedika’s absence, stating the team would need to locate a solution without the influential midfielder, according to SportPremi. “We don’t have another Rapha, so we’re going to have to find another solution,” Leko said. “But that’s for next week, now we have to focus on our league match next Saturday first. Then the focus goes to the return match.”
The match in Madrid takes place at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, with a place in the Champions League Round of 16 at stake. The first leg saw Atlético Madrid take the lead twice, through Julian Alvarez and Ademola Lookman, before Club Brugge fought back. Onyedika’s goal and a subsequent assist for Christos Tzolis ensured a level scoreline, punctuated by an own goal from Joe Ordonez.
Prior to the second leg, both Leko and defender Joe Ordonez are scheduled to address the media, according to reports from HLN and Sporza. The Club Brugge squad departed for Madrid with “only smiling faces,” HLN reported, indicating a positive atmosphere despite the challenges ahead.
Vanhaezebrouck has also offered a message of support for Sabbe and Tresoldi, as reported by Voetbalkrant.com.
