MUNICH (AP) — Defending champion Bayern Munich finished its group stage unbeaten with a comfortable 2-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Goals from Niklas Süle and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting saw the hosts finish with 16 points from six games in Group A. That's seven points more than Atlético Madrid, which secured second place with a 2-0 win at Salzburg. The Austrian team needed a win against Atlético to progress to the knockout stage and will have to settle for a Europa League place after finishing third in the group.
Bayern was already assured of top spot after four games, and its 15-match winning run was ended by Atlético in their 1-1 draw on the fifth matchday.
Coach Hansi Flick opted to rest star striker Robert Lewandowski, who had a minor muscular problem after the team’s 3-3 draw with Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Canadian youngster Alphonso Davies made his first start since recovering from an ankle injury sustained on Oct. 24.
Last-place Lokomotiv had the best chance in a lackluster first half but Leon Goretzka got in to block François Kamano’s shot minutes before the break. The Bayern midfielder then got up to lead a counterattack, but it ended with Thomas Müller shooting wide.
Bayern improved in the second half after Serge Gnabry came on for Müller. Süle’s header from a corner was stopped by Guilherme, who also did brilliantly to deny Gnabry.
But there was nothing the Lokomotiv goalkeeper could do to stop Süle from making the breakthrough in the 63rd. Douglas Costa delivered a corner that should not have been given and the defender was unmarked to head it in. Bayern’s Jamal Musiala had been last to touch the ball before it went out of play.
Gnabry set up Choupo-Moting to seal the result with a rising shot in under the crossbar in the 80th.
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