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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Depleted Bayern cruise past Lokomotiv 2-0

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group A - Bayern Munich v Lokomotiv Moscow - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 9, 2020 Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka in action with Lokomotiv Moscow's Francois Kamano REUTERS/Andreas Gebert

Bayern Munich earned a 2-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow in their final Champions League Group A game on Wednesday with second-half goals from Niklas Suele and Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting.

The Bavarians, last season's winners who qualified for the last 16 with two matches to spare, fielded a largely second-string team with the pressure on Lokomotiv, desperate for a win to secure third place in the standings and a Europa League spot.

Bayern had the upper hand but carved out only few scoring chances in the first half, with top scorer Robert Lewandowski sidelined due to a minor injury.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group A - Bayern Munich v Lokomotiv Moscow - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 9, 2020 Lokomotiv Moscow's Maciej Rybus in action with Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane REUTERS/Andreas Gebert

Thomas Mueller fired wide from close range in the 39th minute before making way for Serge Gnabry after the break, a substitution that provided an instant boost.

The Bavarians came close with a Suele header and Choupo-Moting's backheel flick in the 53rd, before a double chance from Gnabry, who was denied by keeper Guilherme and volleyed the rebound narrowly wide.

Guilherme was beaten in the 63rd minute when Douglas Costa whipped in a corner and Suele rose above two defenders to drill a powerful header past the keeper.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group A - Bayern Munich v Lokomotiv Moscow - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 9, 2020 Bayern Munich's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scores their second goal REUTERS/Andreas Gebert

Choupo-Moting, replacing Lewandowski, doubled the lead in 10 minutes from time to lift Bayern to 16 points. They are joined in the knockout stage by Atletico Madrid, 2-0 winners at Salzburg. Lokomotiv finished bottom on three points.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)

Soccer Football - Champions League - Group A - Bayern Munich v Lokomotiv Moscow - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 9, 2020 Bayern Munich's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Andreas Gebert
Soccer Football - Champions League - Group A - Bayern Munich v Lokomotiv Moscow - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - December 9, 2020 Bayern Munich's Leroy Sane REUTERS/Andreas Gebert
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