Sorloth nets hat-trick as Atleti goes through
Alexander Sorloth scored a hat-trick as Atletico Madrid booked its place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 4-1 win over Club Brugge in its play-off second-leg.
Sorloth opened and concluded the scoring at the Estadio Metropolitano on Wednesday, with Diego Simeone's side coming out on top to win the tie 7-4 on aggregate and advance.
After an end-to-end start, Atleti edged in front in the 23rd minute when Sorloth collected Jan Oblak's long punt forward, with the Norwegian holding off Brandon Mechele's challenge before firing a left-footed shot at goal that somehow found its way past Simon Mignolet's grasp.
But Joel Ordonez's 36th-minute header deservedly hauled Brugge level, with the visiting defender nodding home at the back post after Mechele flicked on Christos Tzolis' corner.
The visitor almost led less than a minute later, but Hugo Vetlesen's point-blank header from another Tzolis cross was brilliantly kept out on the line by Oblak.
That intervention proved crucial for Atletico, which retook the lead three minutes into the second half, when Johnny Cardoso's half-volley whistled into the bottom-left corner.
Brugge struggled to create anything thereon, and their elimination from the competition was all but confirmed 14 minutes from time when Ademola Lookman's deflected cutback fell to Sorloth, who took a touch before picking out the corner from close range.
However, there was still time for Sorloth to complete his treble, with the Atletico number nine volleying Matteo Ruggeri's teasing delivery into the penalty area past Mignolet in the 87th minute.
