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Match Day 6 action in the UEFA Champions League 2018-19 season saw Borussia Dortmund face off against an extremely depleted Monaco side. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid were looking to secure the top spot in Group A by securing a win over Belgian champions Club Brugge.
With both Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid already assured of a place in the knockout round, the fight was for the top spot in Group A.
Let's look at the 3 major talking points from Match Day 6 of the Group A matches:
#1 Atletico Madrid miss out on top spot following draw with Club Brugge
Atletico Madrid missed out on the top spot in Champions League Group A as they were held to a goalless draw by Club Brugge in Belgium.
Diego Simeone's men needed a win to guarantee first place, or hope that Dortmund did not win in Monaco. But Dortmund were in full force once again as they achieved a 2-0 victory over Monaco while Atleti drew against a resilient Brugge side.
Club Brugge's best opportunity came from substitute Luan Peres 15 minutes from time when he had a header saved by the foot of Jan Oblak. The best chance for Atletico Madrid came from Antoine Griezmann in the first half, but Brugge goalkeeper Ethan Horvath made a brilliant save to deny the visitors.
The failure to secure top spot for Atletico Madrid might prove to be problematic for Simeone's side as they could potentially face Bayern Munich, Manchester City or PSG in the next round. Simeone, however, did not seem concerned by his side's second place finish.
"I'm happy because we have reached the last 16 and that is very important for the club," he told Movistar. "The club needed to be in the second round so we have to be happy that we are. Now we must wait and see who we will play and keep trying to improve."
#2 Guerreiro's brace powers Dortmund to top spot in Group A
Raphael Guerreiro scored a brace as Borussia Dortmund defeated Monaco at the principality and ended Atletico's hopes of securing top spot in Group A. Dortmund continued their red hot form from Bundesliga where they are seven points clear of Monchengladbach in second and nine clear of arch-rivals Bayern.
Lucien Favre rested nine of his players from the victory over Schalke, but the players called up showed their worth and earned a victory over a struggling Monaco side. Guerreiro scored a goal in each half, with the Bundesliga leaders always looking in control of the match.
The fact that Atleti drew at Brugge meant that Dortmund have sailed into the Round of 16 of the Champions League by securing the top spot in Group A. Potential exciting match-ups for Favre's side in the knockouts could include Liverpool, Tottenham or Manchester United.
#3 Thierry Henry's Monaco out of Champions League as rebuilding continues
Thierry Henry's side came into Match Day 6 knowing fully well that this would be a preparation match for the upcoming Ligue 1 game against Lyon. With much of the squad having left for other European teams in the last two years and a majority of the experienced players missing through injury, it was another chance for Henry to test his squad strength.
His side were clearly the inferior of the two sides in the match, and the German leaders punished them with two quality goals. Club captain Radamel Falcao managed three attempts at goal but failed to score.
Monaco will continue to rebuild as they look to come out of the relegation zone in Ligue 1. With no more European action for them, the domestic league would be top priority as they look to regain some ground.
