Carl Hoefkens not surprised by Club Brugge’s win over Atletico Madrid

Club Brugge manager Carl Hoefkens wasn’t surprised by his team’s victory over Atletico Madrid, saying he had “absolute belief” that his players were good enough to beat the Spanish side.

The Pro League champions’ dream start to their Champions League continued on Tuesday night with them running out 2-0 winners over Atleti.

They now have nine points from their first three matches and sit comfortably top of their group, six points clear of the three other teams with nine points left to play for.

It was a shock result in the eyes of many, but Hoefkens says he was confident he had the plan and the players to beat Diego Simeone and co.

“Our plan worked perfectly,” he said after the match.

“We knew beforehand what we wanted to do, but I’m incredibly pleased with how my players executed it. We knew possession was very important to take away their confidence. That way we could really make them suffer.”

“We did very well in the first half. In the second half, it became more difficult as they were going to play all or nothing. We were not allowed to panic and had to remain aggressive, not only in losing the ball but also in possession. That’s the hardest thing there is, but it was crucial to get out of their pressure and be dangerous.”

“In addition, the players have been able to create a lot of chaos with their qualities… It was my absolute belief that they could do this.”

GBeNeFN

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