With the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals done, the ties have not lived short of expectations and some teams may already be looking ahead to the semifinals. But, this is football, it's like biscuit, you never know where it'd crumble.
Match day 2 of the round witnessed seven goals across the two centres, with the rematch of the 2020 final producing five of those.
A Bayern Munich side without talisman, Robert Lewandoski and influential attacker, Serge Gnabry now have a mountain to climb in the second leg in Paris after Paris Sanit Germain earned a hard fought 2-3 victory.
The Polish striker was ruled out through injury he picked up during the international break while Gnabry tested positive for COVID-19 hours before the game.
In what promised to be an exciting encounter, it was no surprise that the game witnessed its first goal after just 149 minutes through a regular source, Kylian Mbappe, who benefited from a Neymar through pass to hit the back of the net. Manuel Neuer should have done better with that goal but was unlucky as the ball came off his knee into the back of the net. This was the earliest goal Bayern have conceded since 2010 against Manchester United when Wayne Rooney scored after 63 seconds.
Neymar was once again influential in the second goal as his return ball into the opponent box from a set piece found captain, Marquinhos, who scored a striker's goal with a well placed bottom corner shot.
Bayern were not looking to give up as they continued their fight back which eventually paid off in the 37th minute when Choupo Moting pulled one back with a superb header from a Benjamin Pavard cross.
In quick response after the interval, Thomas Muller leveled for the hosts with another headed goal but their joy was cut short after just eight minutes when Mbappe again, finished a fine counter attacking move at the other end. The world cup winner has now scored five goals in his last three Champions League games.
Bayern now have a huge mountain to claim if they are to retain their title in May.
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In Spain, at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium, Chelsea took charge of the tie with a 2-0 victory over an FC Porto who were without their two top goalscorers, Sergio Oliveira and Medhi Taremi.
The Blues who were shocked 2-5 at home over the weekend by West Bromwich Albion were in no mood for jokes as they look to continue their fine form under new manager, Thomas Tuchel.
In what was a fairly even contest, albeit with Chelsea having higher possession, English youngster, Mason Mount, with his first Champions League goal, put the Blues ahead with a well struck shot after collecting a neat pass from Jorginho and rounding Zaidu Sanusi with his first touch. He becomes the youngest scorer for the Stamford Bridge outfit in the competition.
Ben Chilwell, an unlikely source, also scoring his first Champions League goal, doubled their lead in the 85th minute, capitalizing on a stray pass from Jesus Corona, to round the goalkeeper and put Chelsea one foot into the semifinals for the first time since 2014.
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