In the Champions League Round of 16 on February 18, 2026, Brugge and Atletico will play their match. Both sides are confident they can achieve a positive result.
The Belgians, after winning the title several times in a row, lost last spring’s race to Union. They took revenge in the Super Cup, but now in the Pro League they have to compete with Sint-Truiden as well, without the usual leadership. The Spanish giant reclaimed their familiar third place in La Liga in 2024/2025, but nothing more, and in the new season, a new competitor has emerged in Villarreal, who only slowed down in mid-winter.
In the Champions League, the current hosts had an excellent qualifying run, winning only against Red Bull Salzburg and Rangers Glasgow. They started the group stage by thrashing Monaco, but then put themselves on the brink of failure, gaining just one point in 2025. As a result, in January they had to win—and did so against both Kairat and Marseille.
Simeone’s men have left mixed impressions. At the start, they lost to both Liverpool and Arsenal, although combined with a 5-1 win over Eintracht. However, they then managed to consecutively beat Union, Inter, and PSV. With qualification effectively secured, they settled for a draw with Galatasaray in January and even lost at home to Bodø/Glimt.
Brugge vs Atletico: Key statistics and trends
Brugge have won their last two matches
The club scores an average of 2.33 goals and concedes 1.67 per game
Atletico failed to win twice in a row in January
The team scores an average of 2.13 goals and concedes 1.88 per game
Brugge vs Atletico: Possible starting line-ups
Brugge (probable line-up): Mignolet – Sylla, Mechele, Ordonez, Sabbe – Nwadike, Stankovic, Diacon, Vanaken, Borges – Vermant
Atletico (probable line-up): Oblak – Gantzko, Gimenez, Pubill, Llorente – N. Gonzalez, Koke, Barrios, Alex Baena – Simeone, Alvarez
Previous meetings: Brugge vs Atletico
The clubs have faced each other since the days of the European Champions Cup, first meeting in 1978. So far, they are even: two wins each from six matches.
Free prediction for Brugge vs Atletico
The visitors are seen as favorites, and rightly so. But their opponent understands the need to fight for points at home—we predict “both teams to score” (odds – 1.62).
