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This week's Champions League action proved to be a massive treat for all as goals flew in left, right and centre in almost all of the group games. Many teams secured their passage to the knockout phases while some are still left hanging in the balance. For teams like AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund - this season of Champions League ended with another defeat.
Real Madrid and PSG registered record victories whereas Liverpool and Manchester United floundered in their respective matches. Lorenzo Insigne and Antoine Griezmann's goals this midweek were some of the best of this season while Willian's goal for Chelsea against Qarabag was simply, poetry in motion. On that note, let's take a take a look at the five moments that caught the eye in this week's Champions League:
#5 Igor Akinfeev keeps a clean sheet...at last
For a goalkeeper, a clean sheet is the most valuable thing in the world. Every custodian yearns to shut up shop at his end every time he enters a football field. Now imagine waiting 11 years and 43 Champions League matches for one! Igor Akinfeev of CSKA Moscow had that relieving feeling recently! The Russian goalkeeper finally kept a clean sheet after 11 long effing years in a 2-0 win over Benfica.
Wednesday night brought a much-needed end to an embarrassing record for a brilliant goalkeeper. Akinfeev's last clean sheet came in 2006 against Arsenal at the Emirates where he stopped a barrage of shots from Thierry Henry and Robin Van Persie to help his side earn a 0-0 draw.
#4 Besiktas reach the knockout stage after 31 years
When the final whistle was blown at the Besiktas Park, celebrations were witnessed like there's no tomorrow. It was a moment of elation for the team and the supporters alike as Besiktas qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League/European Cup after 31 long years.
Besiktas needed just a point against FC Porto to confirm their place in the next round as the group winners and they did manage that with Talisca scoring for the Turkish giants in a 1-1 draw. Besiktas were pitted against FC Porto, RasenBal Sport Leipzig and AS Monaco in a group termed by many as the group of death but against all odds, the Black Eagles managed to achieve the impossible and prompted some wild scenes at the final whistle.
#3 Paris Saint Germain create group stage record
The richly assembled PSG team are not only making heads turn with their astronomical wages and transfer fees, but they are also delivering the goods on the field as well. Celtic got a nice beating on Wednesday with PSG hammering the Scottish giants 7-1 and in turn, scripting a unique record along the way.
With their seven goals against Celtic, PSG became the highest ever scoring team in the group stage of the competition. The commendable part of this feat by the Parisians is that they have managed this (24 scored, 1 conceded) with one game to go. PSG broke Borussia Dortmund's record of 22 goals in 6 games which was set last year.
#2 Bayern Munich's fake money protest
The travelling Bavarian supporters had to shell out an astronomical price of €100 for a ticket to watch Anderlecht host Bayern Munich. The fans weren't impressed one bit by the insanely high pricing for the game at Brussels and decided to take the matters into their own hands. The travelling support unfurled a huge banner which read, "Is your greed now finally satisfied... €100".
The Munich fans then threw hundreds of fake notes on to the field to make their point known in the best possible way. The game had to be stopped for a short while-- such was the extent of the notes which were visible on the ground. UEFA must take a lesson from this episode and put a cap on the pricing for away supporters.
#1 Record-breaking night for Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid got back to winning ways with a resounding 6-0 win over APOEL on Tuesday. The victory was even sweeter for Cristiano Ronaldo who finally got on the score sheet and ended his goal drought. The Portuguese superstar scored a second-half brace and continued his good European form this season.
In scoring a brace against the side from Cyprus, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 18th Champions League goal of the calendar year - the highest tally ever achieved. Ronaldo broke his own record of the highest number of goals scored in a calendar year, the previous record being held at 16 goals which he managed in 2015. Also, his latest exploits in front of the goal saw him reaching the gigantic milestone of 100 European goals for Real Madrid. Ronaldo on the decline? Nah.
