5 things we learned from Champions League Round of 16 - 1st leg

After a long break the Champions League finally returned from its hiatus and served up lots of drama. The two eagerly awaited clashes between Manchester City-Barcelona and Bayern-Arsenal went the way of the European powerhouses. Both ties ended at 2-0, with a player sent off for the home side leaving the English Giants with a mountain to climb in the away leg. Meanwhile PSG thrashed Leverkusen 4-0 and Athletico Madrid scrapped a 1-0 victory at San Siro. Here are the key learning’s -  

#1 Barcelona are not a side in decline-

Jose Mourinho claimed that Manchester City were facing Barcelona's "worst side in many, many years" It was a harsh criticism for a team whose aura might have diminished with 7-0  thrashing against Bayern last season but are currently sitting at the top of La Liga. A team filled with talents Xavi, Messi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Neymar, Alexis Sanchez can’t be all that bad which Manchester City fans found out much to their chagrin. Even without the contentious penalty and red card, Barca were deserved winners and absolutely dominated the midfield. With Messi returning to top form after a series of niggling injuries and a purring midfield, Mourinho surely will hope to avoid them in quarterfinals.