In the Zone: Club Brugge's chaos theory

Club Brugge created a small piece of history on Matchday 3, becoming the first team from Belgium to win their first three games of a UEFA Champions League group stage campaign.

In this analysis piece brought to you by FedEx, the UEFA Technical Observer panel highlight the effective counter-pressing work which helped Carl Hoefkens' men get the better of Atlético de Madrid as they took a step closer to their first post-Christmas participation in the competition since 1992/93.

Goals

1-0: Kamal Sowah (36)

The Ghanaian's second goal of the group stage followed a fine passage of attacking play. Brandon Mechele played an angled high ball to Hans Vanaken, who had run into space and provided the knockdown for Ferran Jutglà. The Catalan took a touch then played a give and go with Sowah, the latter's lay-off allowing Jutglà to break into the box, where he showed skill to ride a challenge from Nahuel Molina before crossing low for Sowah to apply a close-range finish.

2-0: Ferran Jutglà (62)

Jutglà had been foiled by an excellent Jan Oblak save just after half-time. A quarter of an hour later, he got the goal which rewarded his formidable energy, movement and reading of the game. First, he took up a good position to receive the ball from Vanaken on the edge of the area. He then played into the feet of Tajon Buchanan, positioned with his back to goal, before embarking on a follow-up run in search of a lay-off. This meant Jutglà was perfectly placed when the ball broke off Axel Witsel, and the No9 duly delivered a first-time shot that flew low past Oblak.

Player of the Match: Ferran Jutglà

Since swapping Barcelona for Bruges in the summer, the 23-year-old has hit the ground running. He ended the night with his eighth goal in 14 appearances for Club and his second in Group B following a penalty converted in the 4-0 win at Porto. He also has two assists in the competition, and the UEFA technical observer awarded him the Player of the Match prize for his involvement in both goals, citing the skill and quality of his run and cross for Sowah and then his alertness in and around the box for his own strike. "He was involved in an excellent interchange for the opening goal, and then showed more ability to force Oblak into a great save, before a wonderful finish for the second goal," said the observer.

Team formations

Club Brugge

Club Brugge's formation in possession

The starting formation of the home side was a 4-4-2, though they would switch to a 3-5-2 in possession, with left-back Bjorn Meijer (14) pushing into an advanced position on his flank. On the right side, Buchanan (17) played high and wide, while midfielders Vanaken (20) and Casper Nielsen (27) roamed upfield. Raphael Onyedika (15) provided the solid defensive foundation for his fellow midfielders, staying disciplined in his pivot role and reading the game well.

Atlético

Atletico's starting formation

In their Matchday 2 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen, Atlético had lined up in a 3-5-2. On Tuesday, Diego Simeone sent his team out in a 4-4-2 formation. Marcos Llorente (14) made an early impact on the right side of midfield, threatening with his runs and passes, and also dropping back when Club Brugge left-back Meijer pushed forward as Atlético switched to a 5-3-2 to defend. Following his departure due to injury in the 33rd minute, Ángel Correa took his place.

In attack, Simeone began with Antoine Griezmann (8) partnering Álvaro Morata (19). In the 65th minute, the latter made way for Matheus Cunha (9), who proved one of the visitors' better performers, reading the game well to create space and using his skill and strength to force the foul for the penalty which Griezmann missed.

Features

This is the first season for Hoefkens as a senior head coach and he has started superbly: Club Brugge have won nine of their last ten matches in all competitions and, thanks to their trio of Group B victories, have achieved three wins in a row in the competition for the first time since the 1992/93 season.

Hoefkens praised his players after the match for their "ability to create a lot of chaos", and pivotal to this was the way they counter-pressed on losing the ball. The video above features three such examples, with the second clip showing the work which preceded Jutglà's near miss with a chest-down and volley just after half-time. First, Nielsen forced Koke to play a backward pass and then Sowah's pressing led to Geoffrey Kondogbia misplacing the ball before Buchanan crossed to Jutglà.

Thanks to the quality of their pressing, they made it difficult for Atlético to pass through them as well as forcing them into rushed passes. This was the origin of their second goal (clip three), when Buchanan – who caught the eye on his Champions League debut for his willingness to take on defenders – put Yannick Carrasco under pressure to prompt a turnover.

Overall, it was a performance of impressive focus and commitment as well as tactical discipline. Club Brugge created width when in possession, were compact in defence and played high to allow the front players to press. Another feature was their patience on the ball and confidence in their build-up play. In this regard, the observer noted the contribution of midfielder Onyedika, who – as mentioned above – brought discipline in his defensive work as well as belief on the ball. Behind him, defender Denis Odoi impressed the observer with his calmness and strong reading of the game.

A word too for goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, whose five saves included an excellent block in a one on one with Morata when the game was goalless. With Griezmann's 76th-minute penalty striking the crossbar, Club Brugge remain one of only two teams – along with Bayern – yet to concede in the group stage. To highlight their achievement, it took Club Brugge 19 matches to accumulate their previous three clean sheets in the group stage.

Simon Mignolet played a star turn for the hostsAFP via Getty Images

From an Atlético perspective, meanwhile, Simeone was left to rue his team's profligacy following their second successive Group B loss – a result which leaves them bottom of the standings. They had 20 shots – 13 excluding blocks, with five of those on target. In comparison, Club Brugge had seven shots – four excluding blocks, with three on target. Yet it was the Belgian side who ended up with two goals and three more points for their collection.

Coaches' assessments

Carl Hoefkens, Club Brugge coach: "We knew what we wanted to do, but I'm extremely happy with how the players executed our plans. Possession would be key to keep them from getting too confident. That way, we would be able to really make them suffer.

"We did that very well in the first half. We struggled a bit more in the second as they started playing an all-or-nothing game. We needed to refrain from panicking, and keep our aggressive play, not just on losing the ball but also in possession. That's one of the most difficult things to do, but it was crucial to escape their pressing and to try and break.

"Against opposition of this quality, you need to make the most of your chances, because you know they finish off every little mistake you make. We took care of the details we'd pointed out before the game and that's what really makes me happy."

Diego Simeone, Atlético de Madrid coach: "I came up against a very strong Club Brugge side. But we were prepared for that. We played a very strong first half. We just missed precision and perhaps even confidence. That penalty not going in, that could have changed the whole game. But we're not throwing in the towel. There are three matches left for us to correct this."