Here are 5 key takeaways from Wednesday's UCL action.

Following some tremendous drama on Tuesday evening, the Champions League returned with several blockbuster matchups that came into focus tonight.

Liverpool passed a significant European test with a home win over Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund ascended the table with a credible away win, and Aston Villa came close to a huge foreign scalp at Villa Park.

Liverpool are absolutely the real deal.

On a thrilling Champions League night at Anfield, Premier League leaders Liverpool defeated Spanish behemoth Real Madrid 2-0.

Arne Slot's Reds looked the genuine deal for 90 minutes in front of The Kop, and despite Mohamed Salah's missed penalty, they were far and away the better team on this evening. The facts showed it even further.

Liverpool are the only side with a 100% record in this season's Champions League, are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table and have won 17 of their 19 matches so far in 2024/25. 

Slot ball is in full flow. 😍  

With five wins from five games and outstanding domestic form, one thing is certain: Liverpool are the finest team in Europe.

Furthermore, the Reds are only the first team in Champions League history to win their first five games while conceding only one goal.

Kylian Mbappé: persona non grata?

My, my, my. Will the real Kylian Mbappé kindly step up, or is this his true identity?

Perhaps harsh, but ask most Madridistas, and the star Frenchman has crossed over into persona non grata area following Wednesday's performance.

Caoimhin Kelleher is the first goalkeeper to save a penalty by Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League 😳

If being scooped by teenage Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley wasn't painful enough, a miss from the penalty spot that could have brought Los Blancos level at one-all

While his goal record of seven in 12 matches appears to be solid on the surface, his overall performance since his eventual transfer from PSG has been questioned.

And rightfully so.

Surprise package Dortmund hits again.

Nuri Şahin's Bundesliga team, Borussia Dortmund, has continued to impress in the Champions League with a 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb.

Jamie Gittens' amazing goal, which mirrors his weekend strike, marked a good away performance during a 2024-25 season in which they have occasionally struggled.

Saturday in the Bundesliga:

- cuts inside on his right foot 

- bangs it top bins 

Wednesday in the Champions League:

- cuts inside on his right foot 

- bangs it top bins again  

Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens with the reverse Arjen Robben. 🔥  

The Ruhr Valley club is still alive, having risen to fourth in the rankings and scored the second-most goals in the group stage (16), after only Barcelona (18).

Amid a domestic season in which they are currently 10 points behind leaders Bayern Munich, they will now want this European form to carry over to the Bundesliga.

Emery tends toward continental pedigree.

On a night when a resurgent Aston Villa welcomed European royalty to Birmingham for their Champions League clash with Juventus, manager Unai Emery almost pulled off another masterful tournament result.

Villa are ninth in the table after their 0-0 draw against The Old Lady, and their manager is well-known for getting the best out of his teams on European evenings.

Aston Villa thought they had earned a famous late victory against Juventus, but Morgan Rogers' goal was ruled out by VAR after Diego Carlos was adjudged to have fouled goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.

Should it have stood? 

They also have one of the greatest defensive records in the group stage, with only one goal conceded.

Though Morgan Roger's match-winning goal in stoppage time was controversially ruled out after Diego Carlos was judged to have fouled goalie Michele Di Gregorio, this result, combined with their 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich on matchday two, demonstrates that Emery still has what it takes.

Di María maintains her timeless appeal.

AS Monaco of Ligue 1 has been one of the most talked-about teams in the Champions League group stage this season, and with good reason.

Les Monégasques were undefeated in four (3-1-0) games before facing Benfica, and they had defeated Barcelona along the road. They then had the opportunity to move up to second place with a win over the Portuguese club.

Despite being 2-1 down, Benfica rallied, scored twice in the closing eight minutes of normal time to defeat Adi Hütter's side at Stade Louis II, with aging great Angel Di Maria at the heart of it all.

5 goals and 3 assists in the last 3 games for Benfica.

2 goals in the rout against Porto, hat-trick last Saturday...

And 2 assists today, in the final 10 minutes, turning the game around against Monaco.

36 years old. Ángel Di María is TIMELESS!

The Argentine winger, who has found a rich vein of form this season at the age of 36, has continued to lead by example.

His brace of assists, which helped the Portuguese defeat 10-man Monaco, adds to his Benfica legacy, following previous clutch displays against Porto and Estrela de Amadora.