Paris St. Germain didn't let the English champs Chelsea defeat them at home. (@ParisFansfr/Twitter)

The first-leg action from the UEFA Champions League knockout round of 16 did not disappoint. Here's a look back at the games that were, while looking ahead at how the second legs will play out. 

Shakhtar 0-0 Bayern Munich 

Shakhtar Donetsk somehow escaped the first leg unscathed. Bayern squandered a handful of quality scoring chances, but the reality is this team is just too good to play another 90 minutes against Shakhtar without finding their offensive rhythm. 

The physical play in the midfield bogged the game down, as Xabi Alonso was sent off in the 65th minute, while Franck Ribéry also got into a tussle with a few Shakhtar players. Emotions were running high in a game that was highlighted by two teams adequately underachieving in the final third. 

Pep Guardiola’s side should be able to take care of business at the Allianz Arena on March 11, but Shakhtar are a feisty bunch and will not go down without a fight—literally.

Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Chelsea

PSG looked poised to give the leaders of the Premier League a real test, and they did just that. Edinson Cavani looked menacing all night for PSG, as he scored a crucial equalizer for the home side in the 54th minute. 

Blaise Matuidi gave Chelsea fits all night by whipping dangerous balls into the area, while Zlatan Ibrahimović just barely failed to convert on some quality chances. 

Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois was simply outstanding between the pipes all night, as PSG generated a number of scoring opportunities and managed to beat the Belgian keeper just once. 

Chelsea ought to be favored to advance, as they are set to host the second leg, but these two teams are evenly matched in basically every phase of the game. The second act figures to be an instant Champions League classic. The only thing that is disappointing is that one of these powerhouses has to lose so early on in the tournament.   

Basel 1-1 Porto

The “little guys” of the round of 16 can flat-out play. Make no mistake about it. While this is not exactly the marquee matchup of the round of 16, the first leg was wildly entertaining. 

Danilo’s 79th minute goal from the penalty spot to bring FC Porto level was absolutely massive, as the Portuguese side should now have the advantage in the second leg in Porto where striker Jackson Martínez should play an instrumental role in the clash on March 10.  

Schalke 0-2 Real Madrid

A strong Schalke side tested the defending champions, but Carlo Ancelotti’s team prevailed, as they so often do. 

Schalke intermittently flashed their quality throughout the contest, but Real Madrid’s star-studded squad never looked like they would stumbe this early in the knockout phase. Round two at the Bernabéu should be nothing more than a formality.   

Luis Suarez scored one of Barca's two goals helping them edge City. (Twitter)

Manchester City 1-2 Barcelona 

Man City awakened from a first-half stupor and played quite well in the second half, but the truth is Manuel Pellegrini’s side simply cannot afford another slow start in the second go-round, especially at the Nou Camp. 

Barcelona’s three-headed monster of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar gave City’s back line fits all night, but the defending Premier League champions showed some serious promise and resolve in the second period. 

Sergio Agüero scored a much-needed goal for City, while Joe Hart’s penalty save in the final minute of stoppage time kept the English giants alive. Hart’s heroics concluded a 20-minute spell of mayhem for City, as left-back Gaël Clichy was sent off in the 74th minute. 

Pellegrini will need to shore up his squad’s defense before the second leg, while an early goal for City will likely be critical as well. Suárez snatched two crucial away goals in the first leg, but this contest is not over yet. Yaya Touré will be back in the starting XI for City on March 18, but the Sky Blues are sailing against the wind. 

Juventus 2-1 Dortmund

Juventus may have won the game, but Borussia Dortmund left Turin with an away goal in their back pocket. 

Dortmund has been abysmal in the Bundesliga yet fairly impressive in Champions League play. Jürgen Klopp’s side will need to find an answer for Carlos Tevez and Álvaro Morata though, or else Juventus’ dynamic duo up top will have no problem replicating their stellar first-leg performance.

Arsenal 1-3 Monaco

Oh, Arsenal. It always seems to be an uphill battle for the Gunners. 

After gaining momentum on the domestic front—jumping to third in the Premier League—Arsenal looked like a team on good form. Moreover, Arsène Wenger’s side looked like a team capable of handling AS Monaco, especially at home. 

But no, after a three-goal performance, Monaco have a comfortable cushion heading into the latter matchup, while Arsenal will have to play lights-out—and score a minimum of three goals—in Monaco in order to advance.

Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Atlético Madrid

Though Atlético looked like the prohibitive favorite in this matchup, Leverkusen stepped to the challenge and put on a show in front of their home crowd. 

An artfully crafted second-half goal sent the Leverkusen crowd into frenzy, as the German side were playing inspired—and thus, they legitimized their place in the last 16. 

The second leg at the Vicente Calderón will likely be a different type of encounter altogether, but Leverkusen turned some heads with this impressive display. They looked threatening on the counterattack and managed nearly two-thirds of the possession in the game. Not too shabby from one of the more obscure teams in the last 16. 

Reach Staff Reporter Josh Cohen here.