Club Brugge’s Mignolet reveals tactics behind saving Lookman’s penalty

By Monsurah Olatunji

Club Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has revealed the tactical approach that helped him deny Ademola Lookman’s penalty, playing a crucial role in his team’s progression to the Champions League round of 16 against Atalanta.

Lookman, who had been sidelined with an injury for a month, made an impressive return, scoring Atalanta’s only goal of the match early in the second half.

However, despite the early goal, the Serie A side had already been trailing 3-0 at half-time, and Lookman’s efforts couldn’t reverse the deficit.

The pivotal moment came when Lookman was awarded a penalty, but Mignolet stepped up to deny him with a crucial save, sealing Club Brugge’s 3-1 victory on the night and a 5-2 aggregate triumph, sending Atalanta out of the competition.

After the match, Mignolet shared his tactical thinking behind the save.

“They scored very early in the second half and might have changed the game, then came that penalty situation,” Mignolet speaking to the UEFA website.

“I spoke with our goalie coach as we didn’t expect Lookman to take it, as he had been injured for a while.”

“Luckily, I chose the right side and saved it. After that, we defended very well as a team and earned a deserved victory,” he added.

Mignolet’s calm and calculated decision-making played a key part in securing Brugge’s progression to the knockout stages, ending Atalanta’s European journey for the season.