One such match saw Serie A's 'Old Lady' Juventus head to RAMS Park to take on Turkish giants, Galatasaray.
First meeting since 2013
Although the hosts had lost their last UCL game against Man City, they had won in four straight games in all competitions since, and therefore headed into the tie in a confident mood.
By contrast, the Bianconeri had drawn 0-0 in their final assignment in the league stage of the premier European competition, and were in fact winless in their last three matches in all competitions.
Back in December 2013, which was the last time that the two teams met, Galatasaray squeezed past the Italian giants with a 1-0 victory, and in this season's UCL, they had won two, drawn one and lost just one in front of their own fans.
Furthermore, the Cim Bom Bom began the game unbeaten at RAMS Park in the last eight in all competitions.
However, they had failed to score in three of their last four Champions League games (D1 L3), as many as in their previous 28 matches in major European competitions.
Osimhen looking to add to his six UCL goals
Juventus had won just one of their last eight away matches in the competition (D5 L2) – a 3-2 victory at Bodo/Glimt - though they hadn't conceded a goal in their last three UCL games, so there was a strong likelihood that the hosts would have to work overtime to gain any first-leg advantage.
Victor Osimhen (six UCL goals in 2025/26) and Dusan Vlahovic (three UCL goals) were the top scorers in the competition for their respective clubs; however, the latter had been out injured since November and still wasn't fit enough for this game.
As might be expected in a stadium that is renowned for its hostility towards away teams and supporters, Juve had to run the gauntlet in the opening stages of the match, with Gala having three attempts on goal in the first 10 minutes.
Kenan Yildiz, attempting to become only the second Turkish player to score against a Turkish side in the Champions League after Can Uzun for Eintracht Frankfurt against Galatasaray, had the visitors' first chance, a blocked effort, before the Bianconeri were soon under the cosh again.
Juve can only blame themselves for opening goal
Gabriel Sara's goal was completely avoidable from a Juve point of view, as the Italians struggled to get the ball away and essentially handed the chance to Sara on a plate.
In scoring, the Brazilian became the first player from his country to score a UCL knockout goal for Galatasaray since Jardel against Real Madrid in 2000/01.
The Bianconeri were only behind for one minute and 25 seconds, as they took the initiative straight from the restart, and after Pierre Kalulu's effort was brilliantly saved by Ugurcan Cakir, Teun Koopmeiners was there to fire into an empty net and silence a support who had been celebrating wildly just seconds before.
It was the Dutchman's first-ever goal in the Champions League, and his second just after the half-hour - a stunning finish into the top corner - sandwiched three chances from the hosts, two of which fell to Osimhen, and all of which went begging.
Constant bombardment from Gala
A constant bombardment from the home side continued right up until half-time, but thanks to a sterling defensive effort from both Lloyd Kelly and Andrea Cambiaso, Juve held firm.
Kelly would go on to win the majority of his aerial duels and almost half of his nine one-on-ones on the ground, as well as winning back possession on six separate occasions - no Juve player did so more often.
And yet, Gala's 13 shots were the most that Juventus had faced in an opening half of a UCL knockout game since the 2014/15 semi-finals vs Real Madrid, indicating a problem that Luciano Spalletti would need to correct in the second half.
Spalletti may have also leant into the fact that it was just the second time that the Bianconeri had conceded first but led at half time in the Champions League, and the last time it happened - September 1995 vs Borussia Dortmund - Juve went on to win the tournament.
Galatasaray were also winless in the last 21 matches in which they'd trailed at half-time in the UCL (D3 L18), since a 3-2 home win over Real Madrid in April 2013.
Cabal made Juve's task almost impossible
Fortune, then, appeared to favour the visitors, but any notion of lightning striking twice was put to bed within a few minutes of the second-half starting.
Noa Lang pounced to level the scores with one of five touches he'd have in the Juve box on the night, and he'd add another goal with a quarter of an hour to play.
His economy in front of goal was in stark contrast to Osimhen, whose 10 touches in the opposition penalty area - the most from any player on the pitch - didn't ever look like leading to a goal for the striker.
Before Lang had put the game out of Juve's reach, Sara's beautifully weighted free-kick was headed home by Davinson Sanchez, making the creator of the goal only the second Galatasaray player to score and assist in a Champions League knockout stage game after Wesley Sneijder against Real Madrid in April 2013.
Juan Cabal, a half-time substitute for Juve, managed to get himself sent off just 21 minutes after coming on, thereby making the visitors' ability to get back into the game even more difficult.
The first Juventus player to be both substituted on and sent off in a UCL game since Juan Cuadrado vs Real Madrid in the 2016/17 final, Cabal also ensured that, as well as Juve having the most red cards in Champions League history (30), they've now had more substitutes sent off in the competition than any other side (four).
Sacha Boey's goal for Gala just 179 seconds after coming on ensured that Juve had conceded five goals in the UCL for the first time in their illustrious history, and if the visitors are looking for reasons as to how and why they were so heavily beaten, they were only better in one single aspect on the night - the amount of dribbles - so that would be a good place to start.
In every other aspect of play, they were second best, and significantly so.
Just 38.2% possession to Gala's 61.8%, or seven attempts to the Turkish side's 22, are only two of many standout statistics from the 90 minutes.
It's certainly a long way back now for an Old Lady that appears to be on her last legs in this season's competition....
Catch up on the match with Flashscore.
