If anyone had doubted the Champions League's capacity for the spectacular following the gradual Disneyfication of elite football, this set of quarterfinal fixtures will have put paid to it.
In Manchester, Liverpool ended up running out 5-1 aggregate victors over the 'best Premier League side of all time' thanks to goals from the criminally-prolific Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, as well as a helping hand from referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz and his assistants.
The real shock of Tuesday night, though, was Barcelona's dumping out at the hands of AS Roma, overturning a three-goal deficit from the first leg to win on away goals.
If Tuesday was shocking, Wednesday threatened to be shocking: Juventus scoring three goals in the Bernabeu before being stunned by a late, late penalty and a Gianluigi Buffon sending off.
Bayern, in a bid to instil a level of Germanic calmness, masterminded a 0-0 draw against Seville to leave no one in doubt that, whatever else, they were prioritising efficiency over flair in their route to the semifinals.
Here are five things we learned from the Champions League quarterfinal stages:
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
News