Raphael Guerreiro found the net twice as Borussia Dortmund clinched top spot in UEFA Champions League Group A with a 2-0 win at AS Monaco on Tuesday.
With Monaco already out, Dortmund’s aim was to rest a number of first-choice stars — Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho and Axel Witsel were among those who did not even travel to the principality — and try to claim the win that would maintain their momentum and perhaps give them top spot in the section. Mario Götze signalled the visitors’ intentions with an early shot that flashed just wide before Christian Pulisic and Maximilian Philipp combined to tee up Guerreiro, who promptly broke the deadlock. Guerreiro and Marcel Schmelzer might have added more goals before the break, but opportunities for Radamel Falcao and Benoit Badiashile in the closing stages suggested the hosts — struggling domestically, unlike Dortmund — might have some fight in them still.
The save Ömer Toprak forced from former Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio reasserted the visitors’ grip on the game after the half-time interval while Philipp would have doubled their lead but for a devious bobble off the turf when he seemed destined to score but instead sent his shot into the night sky. Guerreiro came close to adding a second six minutes from time before he soon did thanks to good work from substitute Paco Alcacer to secure three points which — along with Atletico Madrid’s goalless draw in Bruges — see Lucien Favre’s men finish on top of what had looked a testing group.
