Real Madrid 2-2 Club Brugge: Champions League 2019/20

Peeep peeep peeep!

Referee Georgi Kabakov calls time on an extremely entertaining game in the Spanish capital - albeit one that spectators of a Real Madrid persuasion won't have enjoyed one little bit.

Madrid were staring down the barrel of a third straight Champions League home defeat when Emmanuel Dennis' two, er, unorthodox strikes left Club Brugge 2-0 up at half-time and in sight of a major shock at the Bernabéu.

But after a just-about-onside Sergio Ramos had nodded in to pull one back, Madrid's blushes were spared - at least to an extent - when Casemiro's firm header restored parity six minutes from time.

However, Zinedine Zidane's men remain bottom of Group A, with just one point - only the second time that they have had such a paultry haul after the first two games of a Champions League campaign.

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Last-chance saloon for Madrid. Carvajal slips Modric into crossing space on the right byline, but the Croat's ball towards the middle is deflected out for a corner.

Kroos delivers... and Varane heads over. That, mis amigos, is that.

Hazard was booked a few moments ago, I neglected to tell you. 

And Schrijvers has a chance to score with his first touch! Vanaken finds the substitute in space just inside the box, but he slices his shot completely. Just wafted his left boot at it.

Club Brugge make a third change, replacing Tau with Siebe Schrijvers.

Ramos is playing up front now. Kroos clips the ball onto the captain's head in the box, but he's well muscled out of it by Mechele.

Four minutes of time added on. The Bernabéu wanted more.

Real Madrid are throwing themselves into attack in search of the winner.

Benzema receives on the edge of the box and looks to curl the ball into Mignolet's top corner, but his shot is deflected off a Brugge boot and over.

Kroos' corner comes to zip.

Brugge replace the defensive presence of their red-carded captain by taking off substitute Openda, and bringing on Dion Cools.

Vormer is off! Brugge are down to ten men.

Having been booked a few minutes ago, the visiting captain sees his second yellow for a late lunge on Vinicius.

Brugge win a corner, which Mechele heads wide.

Up the other end, Hazard is caught offside as Real Madrid launch a renewed attempt to find an equaliser.

Time is running out for the hosts. As it stands, they will end matchday two of the group stage still on nul points.

Courtois came off at half time with a dicky tummy, incidentally.

Vormer was booked for the foul that gave away that Real Madrid free-kick, by the way.

Vinicius darts into the box and flashes the ball across goal from the right - but there's no-one there!

Moments later, Madrid win a free-kick on the left that Kroos is standing over... but Brugge deal with it. Mignolet, Mechele and Mata all take a clattering in the process, and need some treatment.

Openda is booked for bringing down Modric.

Vinicius tries, and fails to knock the ball past Deli and advance into the box. It's been an slightly more tranquil last couple of minutes for Brugge.

Tau brings the ball down in the Real Madrid box and prepares to shoot on the turn, only for the referee's whistle to stop him in his tracks. Handball.

Vinicius wants a penalty after going shoulder to shoulder with Deli. He doesn't get one.

Club Brugge make their first substitution, withdrawing two-goal hero Dennis and throwing on Lois Openda in his stead.

Modric fires over! The Croat receives the ball 25 yards out, drops a shoulder and accelerates into the box, but can't direct his angled shot on target. Benzema is not happy that he didn't get a pass.

Mignolet picks up the first yellow card for a spot of time-wasting.

Real Madrid get Vinicius straight into the action on the right, but the Brazilian's low cross is too close to Mignolet. Just over 20 minutes for Madrid to get themselves out of jail.

On comes Vinicius, with Lucas Vázquez making way. There are more than a few whistles for the winger as he leaves the field.

Hazard carries the ball towards a backpedalling Brugge defence before winding up a shot, which skids a little disappointingly wide.

Vinicius is preparing to come on.

OK, time for me to get back into my box. Ramos does indeed look to be just onside here. Clinton Mata appears to be playing the Real Madrid captain on over on the far side.

Benzema takes on Mata, carries the ball towards the byline and looks to send in a cross, but is well marshalled by the Brugge defender.

Moments later, Vázquez flashes a shot across goal just wide. 

Very strange.

Dennis is so close to getting his hat-trick!

It's all been played in the Brugge half since the break, but suddenly the visitors win back possession and get the striker running at a backpedalling defence.

He twists Carvajal inside out before advancing into the box and shooting - but Areola saves! Could so easily have been three.

History not on Real Madrid's side...

Real Madrid have never overturned a 2-0 half-time deficit at home in the European Cup, notes Spanish stats guru Mister Chip, who also points out that this would be the first time Los Blancos have begun a Champions League campaign with two defeats.

Close from Hazard! Vázquez slips the Belgian into the box on the right, where he shoots first-time on the angle - but can't beat Mignolet! 

Madrid win a free-kick on the right. Kroos delivers onto Benzema's head, but the Frenchman to nod well off target.

Moments later, there are howls of derision as Vázquez completely scuffs his cut-back with Modric well-placed in the box.

All Madrid so far.

Peeep! We're back up and running at the Bernabéu.

Double change for Real Madrid

Zinedine Zidane has made two half-time changes to his Real Madrid side, with the headlines being that goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has replaced Thibaut Courtois between the sticks. The Belgian must have tweaked something.

Meanwhile, Marcelo is on for Nacho at left-back. That ought to shore things up in defence.

Group A as it stands (look away now Real Madrid fans)

If it stays like this, Club Brugge will go provisionally top, with PSG still to face Galatasaray at 21:00 CEST. Meanwhile, a third straight Champions League home defeat would leave Real Madrid bottom and pointless.

Peeep peeep peeep!

That's half time. Club Brugge lead 2-0 at the Bernabéu, through two exceedingly weird goals.

Madre mía.

One minute of time added on. Whistles and white hankies incoming.

Close again from Kroos! Carvajal lays the ball back to the top of the box, where the German shoots first time - but sees his low strike fly just wide once more.

The Bernabéu crowd are not altogether chuffed with what they're seeing.

For those of you interested in such points of interest, Emmanuel Dennis's goal saw him become the third Nigerian to score against Madrid in the Champions League.

Having almost found themselves 2-0 down there, Real Madrid are inches away from levelling! Benzema receives on the left edge of the box and plops the ball on a plate for the arriving Kroos - but his angled shot flashes just past Mignolet's post!

There's a shooting chance for Tau - and Courtois has to look alive to make the save! Diatta slips a cute little ball into Tau's run into the box between Nacho and Ramos, but his outside-of-the-boot effort can't quite beat the Real Madrid keeper's dive.

Nacho crosses for Vázquez, who is beaten to it by Sobol. The loose ball falls right to Hazard, who has a chance to lay Benzema off for a shot - but woefully underhits it, and the chance is lost.

Vázquez wants a penalty for what he thinks is a foul by Sobol, but the officials are having none of it.

What a save that is from Mignolet!

Kroos swings the corner in from the right, and Varane gets a run on his man and powers a header towards the far bottom corner. You'd put your house on the net billowing, but Mignolet gets down quickly and beats it out with a firm hand!

Hazard twists and turns, then twist and turns a little more, before cutting it back to Benzema inside the box. The Frenchman tries to wriggle into shooting space, and finally settles for a corner. 

One corner becomes two, two corners become three... and Madrid are so close to getting themselves level!

Close from Kroos! Hazard's cross is cleared only as far as the German, who thumps a first-time volley towards Mignolet's bottom corner - but it flies just wide, via a touch off a blue and black shirt! Varane heads the corner off target.

That's better attacking play from Madrid. Carvajal gets himself into a crossing position on the right, and when Vázquez plays the ball into the right-back, he pings it to Modric, who is arriving in the area at pace. The Croat's first-time shot is just wide of the near post, though.

Vázquez feeds Hazard on the edge of the box, but the Belgian dilly-dallies. The ball is finally played out to Nacho on the left, but his cross is spectacularly overhit.

That comedy Dennis goal is the earliest that Real Madrid have conceded at home in the Champions League group stage since 2007, by the way. On that occasion, Luciano Galletti netted for Olympiakos in the 11th minute.

Real Madrid are calling for a penalty after Modric flops to the turf in the box, but the referee says no. It was a robust challenge by Mata, but legally robust.

Real Madrid launch their first attack of note. Benzema receives with has back to goal, spins and plays the ball into Nacho's charging run forward on the left. The defender crosses low first time, and Brugge force it behind for a corner.

Toni Kroos duly delivers, and Benzema is in the thick of the action once more. The Frenchman rises highest to get a firm head to the German's cross, but directs his header off target.

Club Brugge made a last-minute change to their starting line-up at the Bernabéu, Eduard Sobol coming in for Federico Ricca after the Uruguayan twanged something in the warm-up.

Peeeeeep! Mr Kabakov gets us up and running at the Bernabéu.

The teams are out at the Bernabéu, and it's almost time to get going.

Stat attack

Real Madrid and Club Brugge have only been drawn together once before in the European Cup, meeting in the second round of the competition way back in the 1976/77 season. It was Brugge who progressed, after claiming a goalless draw at the Bernabéu and triumphing 2-0 in Belgium.

Tonight's match referee is Bulgaria's Georgi Kabakov. Italian official Massimilaino Irrati is on VAR duty, meanwhile.

Hazard under pressure to perform

All are eyes on Hazard, who has made something of a stuttering start to life at Madrid, scoring no goals and supplying no assists since his club-record summer move from Chelsea. Speaking on Monday, Zinedine Zidane sought to defend the Belgian, telling reporters: "The same thing happened to me [after joining Juventus in 1996] and I was relaxed about it.

"I knew that things would start working out with time. It was much worse when I first moved to Italy. It took me three months before it all started coming together."

However, a look at the history books suggests Zidane was being a shade economical with the truth in his efforts to get behind his misfiring star.

Mignolet crosses swords with compatriot Hazard once more

A year ago almost to the day, incidentally, Mignolet was in goal for Liverpool as Eden Hazard's strike for Chelsea knocked the Reds out of the Carabao Cup. Hazard could sure do with beating his countryman again this evening.

Three straight shut-outs since Paris beating

It's fair to say Real Madrid are in an altogether better place now than they were two weeks ago, though: since being humbled by PSG, Los Blancos have registered three straight clean sheets, and indeed given up just one shot on target, on their way to beating Sevilla and Osasuna and drawing at Atlético. Those three results have left them sitting top of LaLiga.

How things stand in Group A

Real Madrid's 3-0 opening-game defeat in Paris means they go into matchday two sitting bottom of Group A. Unbeaten so far this season, Club Brugge picked up a point in a goalless home draw with Turks Galatasaray, who tonight host PSG.

Two changes for visitors Brugge

Club Brugge boss Philippe Clement also makes two changes to his side, former Málaga left-back Federico Ricca coming into the defence and Nigerian striker Emmanuel Dennis taking his place in the visitors' attack.

Ex-Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet starts in goal for the Belgians, who come into tonight's game fresh from thumping Mechelen 5-0 in the Jupiler Pro League this weekend.

Modric returns to Madrid XI

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane makes two changes to the side that drew with Atlético Madrid at the weekend: midfielder Luka Modric replaces Fede Valverde and makes his first start for Los Blancos since mid-August, while winger Lucas Vázquez comes into the attack for the rested Gareth Bale.

Club Brugge team news:

Starting line-up: Mignolet, Mata, Mechele, Deli, Ricca, Vormer, Rits, Vanaken, Tau, Dennis, Diatta

Substitutes: Cools, Schrijvers, Sobol, Diagne, Odilon, Horvath, Openda

Real Madrid team news:

Starting line-up: Courtois, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Nacho, Casemiro, Modric, Kroos, Vázquez, Benzema, Hazard

Substitutes: Areola, Militao, Marcelo, Valverde, Jovic, Isco, Vinicius

Real Madrid vs Club Brugge: preamble

Evening!

When last Real Madrid were in Champions League action at the Bernabéu, they found themselves in the unfamiliar situation of being knocked out of the tournament at the last-16 stage. Not only that, but they were given a proper walloping in the process.

That 4-1 second-leg thumping by Ajax brought an end to the Spaniards' three-year European reign - and, coming on the back of a 3-0 beating by CSKA Moscow in their final group-stage fixture, was Madrid's second straight home reverse in the continent's top club competition.

For context, it had taken Los Blancos the best part of eight years to register their two previous Champions League defeats at the Bernabéu. Throw in their 3-0 humbling at PSG in their Group A opener two weeks ago, and Madrid are on a home-and-away European run of three losses in four.

So not only do Zinedine Zidane's men host Club Brugge tonight with the task of reacquainting the Bernabéu faithful with the pleasure of home victory on the Champions League stage, but - more pressingly - they also need to get their first points of the campaign on the board.

They host a Brugge side who, under their new head coach Philippe Clement, sit top of Belgium's Jupiler Pro League and have begun the season like a veritable express train, winning 10 and drawing four of the 14 games they have played so far in all competitions.

However, their away record in the Champions League proper is decidedly iffy - two wins in the last 16 years - and, in general, Belgium's clubs have not fared well at the Bernabéu. As stats specialists Opta note, Madrid have won each of their three Champions League home games against Belgian opposition by a combined score of 14-2.

Stand by for team news!