The opening playoffs for the UEFA Champions League knockout stage showcased a series of exciting matches, with a total of 15 goals scored across three encounters. The most dramatic match occurred in Brugge, where Club Brugge faced Atletico Madrid in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Under the leadership of Croatian coach Ivan Leko, Club Brugge showed resilience as they managed to equalize twice after falling behind, setting the stage for an exciting return leg in Madrid.

Atletico Madrid took an early lead in the eighth minute with a penalty converted by Alvarez. Despite Club Brugge demonstrating a better performance as the game progressed, including a standout performance from goalkeeper Oblak for Atletico, they fell behind again in first-half stoppage time when Lookman scored to make it 2-0. The Belgian side, however, did not give up. They came storming back in the second half, leveling the score first with a goal from Onyedika in the 52nd minute, followed by Tresoldi's equalizer in the 60th minute.

In a back-and-forth match that kept fans on the edge of their seats, Atletico regained the lead in the 79th minute with an unfortunate own goal by Ordonez. Yet, Club Brugge refused to back down and found their strength once again in the dying moments of the game, as Tzolis scored in the 89th minute, finalizing the score at 3-3. This result leaves both teams with a challenging yet thrilling prospect for the second leg, reflecting the competitive nature of this season's Champions League.