6 things we learned from the Champions League last 16 ties

Well, there you have it. The 2023/24 Champions League round of 16 is done and dusted.

There was perhaps a lack of intrigue surrounding several of the ties, but after a slow start to the round, the typical tension and momentum shifts which define the latter stages of this competition started to come to the fore during the final round of second legs.

And with a lack of upsets seeing a litany of behemoths progress, we should be in for a blockbuster conclusion to the competition.

Here are six things we learned from the round of 16 affairs.

Harry Kane may well end up breaking Robert Lewandowski's Bundesliga single-season scoring record by the time his debut campaign is up.

The Englishman, who netted his fourth domestic hat-trick of 2023/24 against Mainz, is nothing short of a supreme performer, and it was his brace that helped a vulnerable Bayern Munich into the quarter-finals.

It's certainly been a timely return to form for Kane, who endured a barren run as Bayern succumbed to Bayer Leverkusen and lost in Rome amid a pair of dire collective displays.

The striker's clutch showing helped Thomas Tuchel's side overturn a 1-0 deficit against Lazio and served as a welcome reminder that he can and will deliver on the big occasion for the Bavarian behemoths as they go in search of European glory.

Real Madrid weren't expected to have many issues against an exciting, vertical, but annoyingly inconsistent RB Leipzig.

Injuries played a role in their unconvincing 1-0 away win which saw the hosts spurn a litany of chances, but there were few mitigating factors for their shoddy showing in the reverse fixture.

Madrid escaped with a 2-1 aggregate win with Leipzig again proving profligate. Carlo Ancelotti candidly said his side «must