Percy Tau's Club Brugge managed to secure third spot in their UEFA Champions League and will now play in the Europa League, despite suffering defeat to Real Madrid.
UEFA Champions League
Result: Club Brugge 1-3 Real Madrid
Date:11 December 2019
Venue: Jan Breydelstadion
Click through the gallery to see action of Tau against the Los Blancos.
Tau returned to the starting eleven alongside Emmanuel Dennis Bonaventure, who netted a double in the reserve fixture back in October, as Real rested a few regulars with qualification already secured.
Remarkably Brugge had prior never tasted defeat to Real, a statistic the Belgians looked to maintain as Tau forced Alphonse Areola in to a low save with a simple tap on ten minutes.
Real, who were on the brink of a defeat in the first round clash, were pinned back timeously as Brugge attacked from the front with strong counterpressing.
This almost backfired as poor possession from Eder Balanta invited Casemiro, who setup Luka Jovic to draw a strong save from Simon Mignolet on the near side following ten minutes.
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Brugge were undone seven minutes after halftime when Alvaro Odriozola found Rodrygo with a pin-point cross, which the Brazilian accepted with a first-time volley off the inside post.
The lead lasted a few seconds though after Hans Vanaken curled beyond the reach of Areola after being afforded space and time inside the six-yard area.
However, Real restored the lead in the 63rd minutes when Rodrygo's miscontrol off Jovic's cutback allowed Vinicius Junior to poke into the bottom far corner from the near side of the area.
Luka Modric capped off a fine evening for the visitors after curling one into far corner from the edge of the area in the final minute following a pass from Casemiro, as Real overcome Brugge for the first time ever and finish second in Group A.
