Football: Atletico sink Salzburg to reach Champions League last 16

SALZBURG, Austria: An opportunist goal by defender Mario Hermoso and a sweet Yannick Carrasco strike gave Atletico Madrid a 2-0 win at Salzburg in their Champions League Group A match on Wednesday and sent them into the knockout stages.

The result left Atletico second in the group on nine points from six games, seven behind group winners Bayern Munich who sealed their progress earlier and were 2-0 home winners over Lokomotiv Moscow.

Third-placed Salzburg finished on four points and will carry on in the Europa League last 32 after the winter break while bottom team Lokomotiv (three points) have been eliminated.

Atletico put in a typical hard-working display and took a 39th-minute lead as Carrasco floated in a free kick and the ball came off Hermoso's shoulder en route to the far corner past Salzburg's stranded goalkeeper Cican Stankovic.

With Salzburg wasting a string of chances either side of Hermoso's effort, Carrasco sealed Atletico's last-16 berth with a superb first-time volley from inside the penalty area after an inch-perfect cross by Angel Correa in the 86th minute.