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The 2018/2019 Champions League season is in full swing, and the biggest clubs in Europe resumed continental duties in their quest to be crowned the best club in Europe come May next year.
After giving us some thrilling results and genuine shocks a fortnight ago, the UCL group stage returned with a bang for matchday two.
There were a total of 23 goals scored across eight different venues, with two different players taking home the match ball after putting three into the back of the net.
As expected, the matchday gave us an insight into how the season would pan out for most of the teams, and there were lessons to be learned. Here are five things we learned from the first round of matchday two UCL fixtures.
#5 Mourinho's days as United manager are numbered
That Manchester United are in crisis at the moment is no longer news, as rumours and speculations of player and manager rifts have dominated the social media scene for over a month, with the Pogba/Mourinho feud being the main highlight.
Prior to their Champions League clash at Old Trafford, there were further reasons to speculate on the pair's frosty relationship, as the Portuguese manager hugged most of his players in the tunnel prior to the commencement of the match, but totally ignored the Frenchman who also drew ire from fans for his jovial and non challant greeting of Geoffery Kondogbia, with social media calling him uncommitted.
As expected, Manchester United put up another spineless borefest at Old Trafford and struggled to break down a Valencia side which has won just one match in eight this season, showing all the laborious and uncohesiveness which has characterized their play in recent times.
The Red Devils suffered defeat over the weekend to West Ham which culminated a poor run of form which has seen them make their worst start to a Premier League season since 1990, and Los Che offered the perfect opportunity for the Mancunians to get back to winning ways in front of their fans.
United, however, lost the script, forcing their fans to boo them off the pitch at full time. The draw with Valencia means Manchester United are now winless at Old Trafford in four matches, and further increases the pressure on the so-called 'Special One'.
Jose Mourinho is living on borrowed time as Manchester United boss, as pundits and fans alike have started to call for his head.
The 55-year-old needs to start swinging results in his favour to effect a stay of execution, but on evidence of their tepid display against Valencia, it is a matter of when and not if Jose would be sacked, and it is increasingly looking likely to be sooner rather than later.
#4 United Players also have to take a measure of the blame
Mourinho's history of falling out with his players is well known, and his last two jobs at Real Madrid and Chelsea ended in very acrimonious circumstances as the Portuguese tactician fell out with a number of his key players at both clubs.
This scenario seems to be playing out once more at Manchester United, as reliable sources from within claim Jose Mourinho has lost the Old Trafford dressing room, and evidence on display suggests this to be the case.
Players by and large are reflections of their manager, and it is no hidden secret that a cordial dressing room atmosphere is essential to a football team's success, and any form of discord either between the players themselves or with their manager is a prerequisite for disaster.
Relationships at United between the players and Mourinho have deteriorated to such an extent that it seems the players no longer seem interested in playing for him, and some have taken thinly veiled digs at his methods with Paul Pogba being the chief culprit.
However, despite most of the furore being around Jose Mourinho and the club to part ways with him, it must also be pointed out that the players have as much blame if not more than the manager.
Football players are professionals, who are paid (heavy sums) which is to give their all to the club and conduct themselves in the most professional way possible, putting smiles on the faces of millions of fans around the world.
Regardless of their differences with their manager, the onus is on the players to put that behind them and deliver performances which would leave the fans with no doubt as to where their loyalties lie.
In times of distress, true leaders rise up and steer their nations to victory, and this turbulent period is the time for Pogba, Sanchez and co to show their greatness and restore the pride to Manchester United, but the players seem more interested in doing their talking off the field on social media than where it truly matters, which is the green lush field of Old Trafford.
Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and putting on the red of the club should be an honour to any player, who should put the values of the club crest above any petty differences and give his all on the field of play every time they step out to represent Manchester United.
Against Valencia, a normally boisterous Old Trafford was uncharacteristically quiet, as United faithful have become disenchanted by their club.
What makes matters worse is that the attitude of the players don't reflect the drive to correct this situation, with their body language giving off the impression that they don't care about the malaise the club is undergoing.
Millions of fans around the world have different real life issues which they contend with, but football's status as a unifying factor has long been established, and thousands flock to the Stadium each week, while millions of others watch their beloved club play in the hope that the players would help put a smile on their face for 90 minutes and beyond till when the next matchday takes place.
For players to do anything on the contrary despite the princely sums they are played is nothing such of criminal, and the players are as guilty as Mourinho in the debacle which has befallen Manchester United.
#3 The Real Madrid job might be a step too far for Julen Lopetegui
Following the shock resignation by Zinedine Zidane after guiding the club to an unprecedented third consecutive Champions League triumph, Real Madrid sought a replacement and turned to then Spain manager Julen Lopetegui to take over the reins, having secret discussions with him and announcing his appointment a day to the commencement of the World Cup, leading to his sack as Spain coach.
The 52-year-old has started life as Real Madrid coach in an unconvincing fashion. He lost his first official match as Los Blancos manager to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup and has been unconvincing in the league despite sitting second in the standings behind Barcelona.
Real Madrid are winless in two La Liga matches, posting blanks in the 3-0 defeat to Sevilla and the goalless draw in the derby with Atletico Madrid.
Under his watch, Real Madrid has struggled for goals, and are currently on a run of three matches without finding the back of the net.
This would come as a real shock to Real fans, who have been accustomed to supporting a free-scoring side, with the club recently going over 70 consecutive matches in which they scored at least a goal.
Real Madrid defeated AS Roma on the opening day of the UCL 3-0, and many would have expected the club to have gotten the job done when they travelled to Russia to face CSKA Moscow, but the match panned out differently, as Vlasic put the Railway Men ahead in the 2nd minute and that was enough to see out a memorable victory.
Despite fielding a second team owing to numerous injuries, Real still had enough firepower on the field to see off CSKA, and this defeat would mount early pressure on Julen, showing him the heat taken by Real Madrid coaches.
Lopetegui has had a less than spectacular managerial career to date, and on evidence of Real's recent struggles, his tactical nous might not just be enough to steer a club the size of Real Madrid who are accustomed to winning every week.
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#2 Paulo Dybala could be the next big thing
The 24-year-old Argentine came into the spotlight after guiding Juventus to the final of the 2017 Champions League final, particularly in the quarter-final where he was the star of the show as he outshone compatriot Lionel Messi in a convincing 3-0 victory for the Bianconerri.
He had long shown his qualities at Palermo, but Juventus offered him the opportunity to showcase it to a larger audience, and the Argentine midfielder grabbed it with both feet.
A lot was expected from him moving ahead, and he largely delivered, following that spectacular season with another emphatic performance last term, where he scored a career high 26 goals in all competitions..
This season, Dybala has continued with his rich vein of form. He has starred in Serie A, scoring 1 goals, and he put up arguably his best performance in a Juventus shirt in the 3-0 demolition of Young Boys at home in the Champions League.
Paulo scored a match winning hat-trick to remind everyone of his qualities and make a case for him shouldering more responsibilities despite the presence of Ronaldo.
Dybala's abilities have long been known, and with his timely reminder in the Champions League, he only needs to perform at this level consistently to truly become one of the elites of the game.
#1 Bayern still not ready to contest for the UCL
Bayern Munich are one of the most successful clubs in football history, and undoubtedly the most dominant domestically, as the Bavarians have won each of the last six Bundesliga titles, with most being won in a comical landslide over the second placed team.
This boring monotony is one which must have gotten their fans uninterested, as it is now seen as a given for Bayern to emerge as Bundesliga champions, hence the reason why most of their attention is turned to the Champions League, as it is only on the continent where their might can truly be tested.
Despite being the joint-third most successful side in Champions League history with five triumphs and being one of only a handful to have won the treble, Bayern have unfortunately fallen short on the continent in recent years.
There were three consecutive semi-final defeats to Spanish opposition between 2014 and 2016, and this has led to frustration among some players, with Lewandowski questioning the club's ambition over its inability to sign quality replacements to keep up with its European rivals.
Despite being quiet in recent times, there is still a lot of truth in what the Polish skipper said, as the Bayern squad is some way behind the likes of Real Madrid, Man City and Juventus.
It says a lot that Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery who are very well on the wrong side of thirty are still strong pillars of the squad, over five years on from leading Bayern to that famous treble.
Elsewhere, the situation is not much different, while the appointment of former Frankfurt manager Niko Kovac seems a risk which could backfire.
Bayern came up against Ajax at the Allianz Arena, and these are the kinds of matches that a prime Bayern racks up scoring records in, but they could only offer very little in a 1-1 draw.
Bayern Munich have their eyes on lifting the Champions League next May, and rightly so. However, on evidence of what we witnessed against Ajax, that dream could go the way of others in recent seasons.
