Club Brugge and Barcelona Serve Up Six-Goal Thriller as Forbs Shines in Champions League Classic

Key Takeaways:

• Club Brugge and Barcelona battled to a dramatic 3-3 draw in the fourth round of the Champions League main phase
• Carlos Forbs starred for Brugge with two goals and an assist on a remarkable night at the Jan Breydel Stadium
• Barcelona climbed to 7 points in the standings while Club Brugge sit on 4 points; both teams had a late winner disallowed by VAR

Match Overview: Goals, Drama and VAR Denial

The Jan Breydel Stadium was the stage for a captivating Champions League encounter where Club Brugge and Barcelona traded blows throughout an extraordinary contest. The hosts seized the lead three times on the night, but each advantage was cancelled out by the visitors, resulting in a final 3-3 scoreline following a VAR intervention that denied Brugge a stoppage time winner.

Portuguese winger Carlos Forbs dominated the headlines, delivering a stellar performance with two goals and an assist against the Catalan side. Forbs was at the heart of Brugge’s enterprising football, ensuring the Belgian club pushed their illustrious opponents to the limit.

Hard fought point. Be proud, Bruges! 👏🏼🔵⚫️ pic.twitter.com/F9jXgsyZwY

— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) November 5, 2025

First Half: Fast-Paced Action and Missed Opportunities

Club Brugge asserted themselves early, taking the lead after just 6 minutes when Carlos Forbs set up Nicolo Tresoldi, who converted past Wojciech Szczęsny for 1:0. The response from Barcelona was almost instantaneous, as two minutes later, Fermín López played in Ferran Torres, who finished low to restore parity at 1:1.

Despite a quick equaliser, Barcelona squandered the chance to move ahead in the 12th minute when Jules Koundé sent Marcus Rashford through on goal, only for the England international to fire just over the bar from close range.

Seizing the momentum, Brugge struck again in the 17th minute. A swift counterattack culminated in Christos Tzolis releasing Forbs, whose clinical finish gave the hosts a 2:1 lead. Forbs, formerly of Ajax and Wolverhampton, notched both a goal and an assist before twenty minutes had elapsed.

Barcelona pressed to get back in the match, but Rashford missed another clear opportunity, and Koundé rattled the crossbar. Nordin Jackers was equal to Rashford’s effort in the 38th minute, preserving Brugge’s advantage. Ferran Torres came close to levelling before the interval, but his chance flew just wide of the target.

Second Half: Equalisers and High Drama

Shortly after the break, Joaquín Scees nearly increased Brugge’s lead, but Szczęsny produced a vital save. Barcelona responded with substitutions, introducing Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski in pursuit of an equaliser.

Eric García struck the woodwork with a long-range drive in the 61st minute, marking another near-miss for the visitors. Moments later, Fermín López found Lamine Yamal, who finished with finesse to level proceedings at 2:2.

The hosts regained the advantage just three minutes later as Hans Vanaken set up Forbs, who spotted Szczęsny off his line and executed a delicate lob for his second goal of the evening, making it 3:2.

Barcelona pressed forward relentlessly and were rewarded in the 77th minute when Christos Tzolis inadvertently diverted a shot into his own net, levelling the contest once more at 3:3.

The match remained on a knife edge during stoppage time, with Romeo Vermon finding the net for Brugge only to see the goal ruled out by VAR due to a foul in the build-up, denying the Belgians a memorable triumph.

Standings and Upcoming Fixtures

With the draw, Club Brugge occupy 22nd position in the standings with 4 points, whilst Barcelona hold 11th place on 7 points. In the following round, Club Brugge are set to travel to Sporting Lisbon, whereas Hansi Flick’s Barcelona will be tested away at Chelsea.

Goalscorers and Match Timeline