Champions League round-up: Radamel Falcao fires Monaco to brink of qualifcation
Wednesday 2 November 2016 23:07, UK
Radamel Falcao scored twice as Monaco took a huge step towards qualification for the Champions League knockout stages with a 3-0 win over CSKA Moscow.
The former Manchester United and Chelsea striker struck twice in 13 first-half minutes after Valere Germain had given Leonardo Jardim's men the lead on 12 minutes at the Stade Louis II.
Falcao has already twice been sidelined by injury this term but scored his first goals in the competition since February 2010.
The results leaves Monaco two points clear of Bayer Leverkusen, who won 1-0 away at Tottenham, at the top of Group E.
Borussia Dortmund booked their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League - despite suspending star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of the 1-0 Group F win over Sporting Lisbon.
Gabon international Aubameyang, Dortmund's top-scorer with 10 goals, was dropped from the squad only hours before kick-off and subsequently given a 24-hour ban by the Bundesliga club due to "internal reasons".
He watched from the stands at Westfalenstadion as his replacement Adrian Ramos headed the only goal of the game with 12 minutes played to ensure Thomas Tuchel's side a place in the last 16 with two group games to spare.
Sevilla moved to the brink of qualification for the Champions League last 16 for the first time in six years with a 4-0 thrashing of 10-man Dinamo Zagreb at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Luciano Vietto's 31st-minute opener put Sevilla in control and Zagreb's hopes of ending a 10-game losing run on the road in the Champions League evaporated when Petar Stojanovic was shown a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time.
Sergio Escudero, Steven N'Zonzi and Wissam Ben Yedder extended Sevilla's advantage in the final 24 minutes as Jorge Sampaoli's men moved to the top of Group H.
Elsewhere in the group, Gonzalo Higuain converted an early penalty for Juventus and then missed a sitter before Lyon hit back late in the game to grab a 1-1 draw in Turin.
Corentin Tolisso's 85th minute header, the first goal that the Italian champions have conceded in four games in Group H, kept alive the French side's slim hopes of reaching the last 16 and kept Juve waiting for at least one more game to book their spot.
Juventus are second with eight points, two behind leaders Sevilla, and should still progress, while Lyon have four.
Porto moved up to second behind Leicester City in Champions League Group G with a 1-0 victory over Club Brugge at the Estadio do Dragao.
The Portuguese side snatched a crucial late win in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago and they made it a double over Brugge thanks to Tomas Pina's 37th-minute own goal.
