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#3 Real Madrid extend record-breaking run of group stage qualification
Real Madrid are, of course, the most storied club in the history of the European Cup / UEFA Champions League.
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Their nine triumphs are more than anyone else has managed in the history of the competition and in many ways, the club have a special relationship with the tournament.
This is why the fact that Real Madrid were on the cusp of elimination from the group stage was almost impossible to believe, as a knockout round without Los Blancos was difficult to fathom.
The club currently holds the record for most qualifications from the group stage with 25, and 24 of those came consecutively since the 1997/98 season, which is a tournament record.
#2 Karim Benzema's brace sees him reach a century of Champions League group stage goals
Karim Benzema has been rejuvenated since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, putting to shame critics who opined that he could not be counted on to bear the goalscoring burden.
The Frenchman has seen a massive spike in his goalscoring returns in the last three campaigns and has continued from where he left off this season.
So far, the 32-year-old has eight goals from 14 matches in all competitions, with four of those coming in the Champions League.
His brace on matchday 6 saw him surpass the 50-goal mark for Champions League group stage goals, and his total of 51 is only behind the iconic duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who lead the way with 71 and 67 goals respectively.
It also took Karim Benzema to 69 goals in the competition, just two behind former teammate Raul and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.
#1 Real Madrid go back to basics to secure progression
When Real Madrid won La Liga last season, they did so on the backdrop of a watertight defence that saw them concede just four goals in 10 consecutive victories post-lockdown.
However, they lost that solidity at the back in the opening stages of the current season that led to their struggles both domestically and on the continent.
The absence of talisman and captain Sergio Ramos made the situation more untenable but Zidane has been able to reorganise his rearguard to get the job done.
Real Madrid were back to their compact best in their weekend victory over Sevilla, and the 1-0 win had shades of their performance post-lockdown last season.
It was more of the same in the victory over Borussia Monchengladbach, with the returning Ramos helping the hosts limit the Germans to just one shot on target across the 90 minutes.
