MADRID: Alexander Sorloth’s hat-trick fired Atletico Madrid into the Champions League last 16 with an emphatic 4-1 win over Club Brugge on Tuesday, progressing 7-4 on aggregate from the play-off round.
Brugge could not keep the Norwegian target man at bay as he settled an entertaining tie with a display of lethal finishing at the Metropolitano stadium.
After Joel Ordonez had canceled out Sorloth’s opener, Johnny Cardoso smashed Atletico in front and Sorloth added two more goals late on to seal his team’s victory.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who have never won the competition, took a few minutes to get going in the early exchanges and David Hancko blocked Hugo Vetlesen’s effort well as the visitors attempted to capitalize.
However, the Spaniards took the lead when goalkeeper Jan Oblak went route one from the back, finding Sorloth in a good position.
The powerful striker held off his marker and beat goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who handled the shot poorly and might have kept it out.
Julian Alvarez headed wide as Atletico, ascendant, looked for a second.
The Rojiblancos twice lost the lead in Belgium last week against Ivan Leko’s side and it happened again a few minutes before half-time.
Ordonez nodded home from on the goal-line after Brandon Mechele flicked on a corner into his path.
Brugge almost took the lead before the break but Oblak made a superb save to claw out Vetlesen’s header.
Instead Atletico went ahead shortly after the restart, with Cardoso hammering home from the edge of the box after the ball was cleared into his path.
Atletico nervously held the lead, aware of the visitors’ threat, until Sorloth gave them some breathing room with his second of the night.
Ademola Lookman and Antoine Griezmann exchanged slick passes and the former cut the ball back for Sorloth to dispatch.
The forward rounded off an excellent night by volleying home Matteo Ruggeri’s cross with three minutes to go.
Sorloth, who netted twice against Espanyol on Saturday in La Liga, has 10 goals in 2026 to date, even though he is often rotated in and out of Simeone’s team.
Sorloth treble helps Atletico past Brugge into Champions League last 16
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Sorloth treble helps Atletico past Brugge into Champions League last 16
- Brugge could not keep the Norwegian target man at bay as he settled an entertaining tie with a display of lethal finishing
- After Ordonez had canceled out Sorloth’s opener, Cardoso smashed Atletico in front and Sorloth added two more goals
Pineau leads by 1 as Vecchi Fossa stars at Hilton Classic in Tangier
- Leaders hit a 2-under-par 70 in what proved arguably the most challenging conditions of the MENA Golf Tour season so far
TANGIER: France’s Pierre Pineau holds a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Hilton Classic at Al-Houara Golf Club in Tangier after battling to a two-under-par 70 in arguably the most challenging conditions of the MENA Golf Tour season so far.
Italy’s Jacopo Vecchi Fossa produced a stunning six-under 66 to storm into contention despite the torrential afternoon rain.
Pineau, who began the day on three-under par, made four birdies against two bogeys to move to five under overall and head a congested leaderboard.
He navigated the morning conditions well enough, reaching the turn one-under for his round, before digging deep on the back nine as the weather deteriorated sharply.
“On the back nine I just fought as hard as I could,” Pineau said. “The rain was not so much about distance, it was more about the ball sliding on the face on chips and wedges. I have played in tough, changing weather before so I felt comfortable adapting.”
“It would mean a lot to win because I have struggled over the last 12 months, so it would be a big boost of confidence,” he added. “After today my confidence is in a good place.”
Three players share second place on four-under par. England’s Curtis Knipes carded a composed 71, making birdies at the ninth, 13th and 15th to offset bogeys at the first and 17th and maintain his challenge.
Pakistan’s Aadam Syed also signed for a 71, his four birdies countered by three dropped shots in a battling round he described as a constant test of patience.
“It was a real battle out there today,” Syed said. “Yesterday was windy but it eased over the last six holes and you could start firing at flags. Today it was constant all day, so patience was key.”
Syed, who had his father on the bag, is chasing a first title. “To win on the MENA Golf Tour would mean a great deal,” he said. “I have not won as a professional yet, so to tick that off would be huge and would confirm to myself that I am good enough.”
The third member of the second-place trio was the story of the day. Fossa, who started on the first tee, produced a flawless six-under 66, featuring four birdies and an eagle at the 10th, all without a bogey despite the increasingly brutal afternoon conditions.
“Honestly, I don’t really know how I did it,” Vecchi Fossa said. “On the back nine it was rain and wind the whole way and I was hitting hybrid and three wood into par fours straight into the wind. It was crazy out there.
“The hardest part was gripping the club with so much water, but I managed to hit a lot of fairways and the putts went in, which made the difference.”
France’s Andoni Etchenique and overnight leader Aron Zemmer, who slipped back with a two-over 74, share fifth place on three-under par.
Ireland’s Alex Maguire, the round one co-leader, dropped two shots to sit at two under with New Zealand’s Luke Kidd and Ireland’s Paul McBride in a tie for seventh.
Ayoub Lguirati remains the highest-placed Moroccan heading into the final round, the home favorite signing for a 74 to sit on two-over par in a share of 20th place, with compatriots Ayoub Ssouadi and Issam Nakrou also making the cut.
The final round of the Hilton Classic gets underway on Wednesday, with the $100,000 prize fund and Official World Golf Ranking points on the line.
