Manchester City matches the 'unconquered' record, Borussia Dortmund scores five goals during the initial half in an explosive Champions League encounter
While some of the world's top teams showcased their strength in this season's competition, several underdogs ended up nursing their injuries after facing a devastating defeat.
CNN Sport takes a look at the charming events from another exhilarating night in Europe.
Manchester City breaks 'unbeaten' record
Manchester City has reigned supreme in England's Premier League for the past few seasons and it seems its reign extends to the Champions League as well.
Following its 4-0 victory against Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday, City has matched the competition's unbeaten record, having not tasted defeat in its last 25 matches, as per Opta.
Management under Pep Guardiola has led to 17 victories and 8 draws, equaling the record set by city rival Manchester United in May 2009. The feat includes their accomplishments during the season when City clinched its first European trophy in 2023.
City has the chance to surpass the record when it faces Sparta Prague on October 23.
“It’s a delight to lead this team. I adore them and I cherish them,” Guardiola mentioned.
However, the record does come with a slight disclaimer.
Although City hasn’t actually lost during its 25-match streak, it was knocked out of the competition.
Its expulsion last season came after two draws against Real Madrid in the quarterfinals, eventually resulting in a penalty shootout loss.
Celtic suffers crushing defeat
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund gave Celtic a night they'd rather forget after running rampant to a 7-1 victory.
The Scottish team was undefeated this season heading into the match, having also triumphed in its first Champions League encounter early this month.
However, it was given a stern lesson by an impressive Dortmund side, which had ample opportunities to score more.
The game was already beyond salvation by half-time, with Celtic becoming the first British side to concede five first-half goals in a major European game since the 1997-98 season, according to Opta.
Emre Can gave Dortmund the early lead with a penalty after nine minutes, before the visitor equalized through Daizen Maeda.
But Celtic's resolve didn't last long, and it went into halftime 5-1 down after Karim Adeyemi's hat-trick and another penalty from Serhou Guirassy.
Guirassy then added another goal in the second half before Felix Nmecha wrapped up the rout.
“There are harsh lessons at this level, any misplaced passes when your positioning isn't quite right, you suffer the consequences,” Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers remarked after the game.
“This serves as a significant learning experience for our players, which we must use in our upcoming games at this level.”
Unbalanced matches
This season's competition looks unlike past editions as the new format takes hold.
Teams no longer compete in eight groups of four during the group stages. Instead, 36 teams now participate in a single league, with each club playing eight matches against eight different opponents.
UEFA believes the change will allow teams to test themselves against a wider range of opposition and assert that the top clubs will “clash more frequently and earlier in the competition" in the new format.
However, recent fixtures have featured stark contrasts, as Europe's powerhouses have dominated weaker sides rather comfortably.
While City and Dortmund emerged as easy winners on Tuesday, Barcelona also crushed Young Boys 5-0, and Internazionale split Red Star Belgrade 4-0.
It's premature to draw any conclusions regarding the impact of the new format on the lopsided results or whether it's more a reflection of the vast wealth disparities among contemporary clubs.
Brest delights with impressive performance
One team bucking this trend is Brest.
The French side continued its impressive run in the new Champions League season with a 4-0 win against Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday.
Brest is making its debut in Europe after finishing third in Ligue 1 last year. The newcomer notched up its first victory, a 2-1 win against Austrian side Sturm Graz last month, and followed it up with an impressive away performance against Salzburg.
Abdallah Sima scored a brace and goals from Mahdi Camara and Mathias Pereira Lage completed a comfortable victory, moving Brest to second in the Champions League standings.
The French club faces a daunting challenge against German champion, Bayer Leverkusen - which edged past AC Milan in a tense 1-0 win on Tuesday night - as it continues its unbeaten streak later this month.
Despite Manchester City's 4-0 victory against Slovan Bratislava, maintaining its unbeaten record in the Champions League, football has not always been kind to the team. Last season's early exit in the quarterfinals against Real Madrid served as a reminder of the challenges in this sport.
Celtic, on the other hand, had been enjoying success in the Champions League this season, remaining undefeated until its encounter with Borussia Dortmund. The German team's 7-1 victory over Celtic was a harsh lesson in football, highlighting the stiff competition in this sport.
