4 things we learned from the Champions League's midweek tilts

With the first legs of Champions League Round of 16 fixtures over, theScore looks at what we learned in the four matches across Tuesday and Wednesday.

It'll be gung ho in Monaco

It took 26 minutes for Raheem Sterling to open the scoring in Tuesday's visit from AS Monaco, and that kicked the floodgates wide open. For the rest of the match, 15 minutes weren't able to pass without another goal, as the visitor and Manchester City took turns testing each other's shaky backlines.

It was a match which fitted its billing as two of Europe's most forward-thinking teams exchanged eight goals - a record high for a last-16 first leg - with City the triumphant party with five.

And the next meeting should be no different.

"We don't have to underestimate them and must try to score goals again. We are a team that can get the goals but we can concede goals," Yaya Toure said, before noting that a team featuring himself, David Silva, Bacary Sagna, and Pablo Zabaleta, all of whom are aged 31 and over, looked sprightly.

"After the game my wife called me and said we were looking young today, the team was brilliant."

While Pep Guardiola echoed Toure's belief that City will need to attack in Monaco, it could be easier for the northwest club in the second leg: Kamil Glik, the uncompromising and pivotal centre-half, will be suspended for the tilt.

Foxes avoid Sevilla battering

Kasper Schmeichel was the only member of the away side in the opening stanza deserving of credit, and he must've been at a loss when trying to comprehend the ineptitude of his Leicester City colleagues in front of him.

While he thwarted Joaquin Correa from the penalty spot, captain Wes Morgan trundled around unathletically and the Foxes distribution - they had a 58 percent pass success rate to Sevilla's 85 - was woeful.

After just over an hour, the Andalusians were deservedly up 2-0.

Then Jamie Vardy, hero of 24 goals en route to Leicester's shock Premier League title win last term, hit his first shot on target in 380 minutes. And he scored.

Related: Vardy gives Leicester life after converting 1st shot on target in ages

With an away goal and just one strike to scale in the second bout, this two-legged affair is unexpectedly wide open. Schmeichel is due plenty of credit for simultaneously keeping Leicester's continental hopes alive, and Jorge Sampaoli's organised chaos at bay on numerous occasions.

Griezmann's parting gift?

Six blows were exchanged between Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, meaning Tuesday was the highest-scoring knockout day (14 goals) since 2009 - when four matches were played.

There's a lingering concern that Antoine Griezmann, the scorer of the second in the 4-2 win, will be on his way though. Manchester United is apparently sniffing, and will be encouraged by the Frenchman surpassing legend Luis Aragones as Atleti's top scorer in Europe with 13.

If he is heading for the exit, Kevin Gameiro will have to step up fast after some largely indifferent form. He showed he hadn't lost his goalscoring touch in his hat trick in the space of 294 seconds three days before the Leverkusen match, and then held up the ball magnificently for Griezmann's tally in North Rhine-Westphalia:

But, despite there being two distinct and organised lines of four before Griezmann's finish, Diego Simeone's lot is still hemorrhaging goals by its usual standards. In La Liga, Los Colchoneros have conceded eight more goals than at the same point of last season.

The Old Lady makes hard work of deserved win

Referee Felix Brych made some dodgy calls in Juventus' trip to FC Porto, but Massimiliano Allegri's tactical nous prevailed near the banks of the Douro River.

While Allegri may have his doubters for building success on the instrumental foundations laid by his predecessor Antonio Conte, it's tweaks like his introductions of Marko Pjaca and Dani Alves that must have the Arsenal hierarchy strongly considering him as Arsene Wenger's successor.

Related - Arsenal-linked Allegri: I'm not learning English again

Both players scored. Pjaca opened his Juventus account with a smash before Alves met a teasing Alex Sandro cross to double the Old Lady's advantage. Or triple - considering the importance of bagging away goals in the knockout rounds.

Porto will travel to Turin on March 14 as the rank underdog: Juventus hasn't lost at home in the Champions League since a quarter-final squabble with Bayern Munich in April 2013.

(Photos courtesy: Reuters)