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The UEFA Champions League is arguably the most coveted and most thrilling club competition in the global game. Since the inception of the modern Champions League format in the 1991-92 season, the competition has exceeded expectations on the entertainment front, with notable matches ranging from Liverpool's comeback from 3 goals down against AC Milan in the 2005 final, to Monaco unexpectedly knocking out Real Madrid on away goals in the 2003-04 quarterfinal.
Let's take a look at some of the notable matches from this season, which should give us a hint at which teams to keep an eye on in the matches ahead.
#1 Valencia 0-2 Juventus
Whilst Juventus were labelled as favourites by most pundits in the build-up to the match, very few could have quite predicted the manner in which they would have won. The first half saw Juventus get off to a nightmare start, with newly-signed talisman Ronaldo being sent off early on in the match.
The 10-man Juventus squad clearly suffered without their star man, as they were only able to rack up 10 shots on goal in the 90 minutes, which was a meagre amount compared to Valencia's 26. It eventually took two penalties for Juventus to score, thanks to some reckless defending by the Spanish outfit.
#2 Bayern Munich 1-1 Ajax
In what should have been an easy win for Bayern, the Bundesliga champions fell short in the goal department, with a frustrating match ending in a draw in the Allianz Arena. After a dream start where Hummels scored from a header, the Bavarians failed to extend their lead, as 15 shots proved not to be enough. To make matters worse, Ajax equalised with a prolific strike from Mazaraoui, thus ensuring that the Dutch side would secure an unlikely point in Munich.
#3 Manchester City 1-2 Lyon
The blue half of Manchester have looked indestructible in the domestic league thus far, and are still unbeaten as yet. This, in addition to the fact that the match was played at the Etihad, is what makes this result so inconceivable. Two first-half strikes were enough to secure the 3 points for the French side, who barely maintained 30 percent possession throughout the match and only managed 11 shots, which is exactly half of City's total.
The above results show just how unpredictable Europe's most prolific club competition can be, and if these matches are anything to go by, we should be in for a riveting season of goalfests and upsets.
