adminPARIS. — Atletico Madrid claimed the final spot in the Champions League football last 16 on Wednesday night with a 2-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow, after Atalanta completed an impressive comeback in Group C to qualify.
Bayern Munich sealed consecutive victories over Tottenham with a 3-1 success at the Allianz Arena, while Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus also finished their group campaigns on winning notes.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico went into their game knowing defeat, coupled with a Bayer Leverkusen win against Juve, would see them dumped out.
Kieran Tripper had a second-minute penalty brilliantly saved by Lokomotiv goalkeeper Anton Kochenkov at the Wanda Metropolitano, but Joao Felix made no mistake from the spot a quarter of an hour later.
Atletico wasted a string of chances and Alvaro Morata had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside.
But their place in the knockout rounds was secured when centreback Felipe volleyed home Koke’s cross after a short corner routine.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his second Champions League goal of the season as Juve, who were already sure of top spot, saw off Leverkusen 2-0 in Germany in the other Group D game.
Substitute Paulo Dybala was the creator of the 75th-minute opener, crossing low for Ronaldo to tap in a record-extending 128th goal in the competition, before Gonzalo Higuain’s injury-time clincher.
“Ronaldo and Higuain led by example, they were always the first to work hard for the team,” Juve ‘keeper Gianluigi Buffon told uefa.com. Champions League debutants Atalanta claimed a famous 3-0 triumph at Shakhtar Donetsk to qualify with Manchester City despite having lost their first three games. — AFP.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter