UEFA Champions League round of 16: 5 things we learned from the first leg matches

#4 Bayern Munich are genuine contenders for the European crown

Bayern Munich recorded a thumping 5-0 victory over Besiktas

It was only a few months back that Bayern Munich recorded a sorry figure in Europe. A dismal pre-season followed by an average start to the Bundesliga put the pressure on the then-manager Carlo Ancelotti who was running out of options at the Allianz Arena.

Throwing away winnable games became a norm for the Bavarians who were trailing their arch-rival Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga table. The long-term injury to Manuel Neuer and his replacement, a below-par Sven Ulreich, didn't help either. Many questioned Ancelotti's squad selections too.

The clock ran out finally for Ancelotti after a three-goal drubbing in Paris and the Italian manager was sacked by the club. In a shocking move, Bayern's treble-winning manager Jupp Heynckes came back from retirement to begin his fourth term at the helm of Bayern Munich.

Four months and 23 games in charge later, Bayern Munich are back to being the powerhouse of a club they are supposed to be. From trailing to Dortmund by five points under Ancelotti, Bayern now lead the Bundesliga table by 19 points and are well on their way towards a record sixth-consecutive Bundesliga title.

Under Heynckes, Bayern have lost only one game and are currently on a 14-game winning streak across all competitions. This includes a fantastic 3-1 revenge victory against PSG in the Champions League.

Not only are the Bavarians in red-hot form, most of their injury-riddled players such as Thiago Alcantara and Franck Ribery have also made a comeback to the side. Ulreich has finally become a reliable figure between the sticks while the twin towers of Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels have marshalled Bayern's defence well.

James Rodriguez has been a revelation for Bayern while the midfield-powerhouse Arturo Vidal has also put a poor beginning to the season behind him. Robert Lewandowski has been banging in the goals and has already scored a whopping 29 goals in 33 games across all competitions. Even Thomas Muller is slowly returning to his fox-in-the-box days as the German chipped in with two goals against Besiktas.

Overall, Bayern have enough fire-power in their arsenal (no pun intended) to make a run for a sixth UCL crown.