The Women’s Champions League returned this week, with the first legs of four intriguing quarter-final ties taking place.
El Clasico was the most eye-catching draw, such is the history of the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid on the men’s side – even if the latter’s women’s team is new to the scene.
Seven-time European champions faced Juventus, who had never ventured this far in continental competition, while games between Bayern Munich and PSG, and Arsenal and Wolfsburg, were extremely tough to call.
Here is what we learned from the latest round of European action...
Madrid's blueprint for how to beat Barca
When Real Madrid took the lead against Barcelona on Tuesday evening, it was a surprise, but it was also extremely well deserved.
There were only eight minutes on the clock when Olga Carmona rifled home the first goal of El Clasico, but the hosts had pressed and harried the reigning champions since the first whistle, forcing them to make mistakes and give an opponent a rare advantage.
Barca did emerge victorious in the end, a controversial penalty settling them down before they scored twice more through Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas.
But the Catalans were uncomfortable with the way Real didn’t give them the time they require to dominate at their own pace.
It’s something that will have interested a lot of managers in Spain and Europe, as so many try to figure out how to beat this all-conquering team.
Katoto deserves more respect
It’s been three years since Paris Saint-Germain star Marie-Antoinette Katoto established herself as a serious goalscorer, but it feels like she still isn’t given the plaudits she deserves.
At the age of 21, she outscored everyone in the French league, which was some feat considering how dominant their big rivals, Lyon, have been both domestically and on the continent.
The following season, she did it again.
Last year, her 21 goals didn’t give her the topscorer accolade, but they did give PSG its first ever league title on the women’s side.
On Tuesday, Katoto’s predatory instincts allowed the French club to leave Munich with an advantage, with the striker's double securing a 2-1 victory over Bayern.
With 137 goals for the club now at just 23 years old, this is one of the very best players in the world. She deserves to be recognised as such more often.
Wolfsburg’s fluidity a threat to any team
When Wolfsburg set up for their game with Hoffenheim last weekend, Lena Lattwein moved from a defensive midfield role into a more advanced position.
She scored twice and was the best player on the pitch as the Frauen-Bundesliga leaders won 3-0.
On Wednesday, head coach Tommy Stroot rejigged the team again for the clash with Arsenal, with Alex Popp moving from holding midfield to the left wing.
GettyFor some teams, this chopping and changing of positions would impact their ability to be a cohesive unit.
For Wolfsburg, with the quality of options they have, it just makes them more fluid, more unpredictable and more dangerous.
This level of versatility could trouble any side.
Juve an example of changes in Europe
Juventus’ clash with Lyon was a game that saw a recently risen power against an established force – first time quarter-finalists against seven-time queens of Europe.
In the end, with Juve 2-1 winners after an incredibly significant illustration of their development, the result served as a great example of how power is shifting on the continent.
While teams like Lyon and Wolfsburg remain at the top, where they have been for the last 10 years, sides such as Juventus and Real Madrid are coming through and making names for themselves now, too.
For some, that’s a miserable thought, as the smaller clubs with less resource are phased out by super-clubs.
However, it does make for interesting unpredictability across the board for the next few years of the women’s game, with teams in these latter rounds today that didn’t even exist five years ago.