Barcelona were forced to settle for a wild 3-3 draw against Club Brugge in a pulsating Champions League encounter that tested every nerve at the Jan Breydelstadion.
The home side stunned the Spanish giants after just six minutes, when Carlos Forbs broke the offside trap and squared the ball for Nicolo Tresoldi to slot home. Barcelona’s response was swift, with Ferran Torres finding the net two minutes later after being picked out by a precise pass from Fermin Lopez.
The early chaos only intensified as Fermin struck the woodwork before Brugge reclaimed the lead through another devastating counter-attack. Forbs, a constant menace, drifted inside and curled a composed finish past Wojciech Szczesny to make it 2-1 within 17 minutes.
Barcelona hit the frame of the goal twice more through Jules Kounde and Eric Garcia before teenager Lamine Yamal dragged them level just after the hour mark, finishing off a delightful back-heel assist from Fermin.
But any sense of control quickly vanished. Forbs completed a superb individual performance moments later, racing clear once again to beat Szczesny and restore Brugge’s lead.
The hosts thought they had a penalty soon after when Forbs tangled with Alejandro Balde, but a VAR check ruled the forward had initiated the contact. Barcelona’s persistence eventually paid off in the 77th minute when Christos Tzolis inadvertently turned Yamal’s curling cross into his own net to make it 3-3.
Brugge nearly snatched a famous win in stoppage time as Romeo Vermant dispossessed Szczesny and scored, but VAR intervened again to disallow the goal for a foul.
The breathless contest ended all square, leaving Barcelona frustrated but relieved after a night that exposed both their attacking flair and defensive frailty.
