APOEL vs. Real Madrid: 6 Things We Learned in Champions League Quarterfinal

Sorry, Cinderella, the slipper doesn't fit.

APOEL's fairytale Champions League run is all but over after a 3-0 home loss to Real Madrid on Tuesday. The Cypriot minnows now face the daunting task of the second leg at the Bernabeu in one week's time.

To their credit, it took Real Madrid well over an hour to score. Substitute Kaka set up Karim Benzema with a chance he couldn't miss (and clearly, Benzema was misfiring Tuesday night) in the 74th minute for the opening goal before Real added two more goals in the final 10 minutes.

Nine-time champion Real Madrid will now almost certainly advance to face either Bayern Munich or Marseille in the semifinals.

First, though, here are six things we learned from Tuesday's quarterfinal first leg.

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APOEL Did Themselves Proud

OK, so APOEL lost. Badly.

And they never really had a chance, considering they took exactly zero shots all night and held the ball 23 percent of the time.

But the pride of Cyprus defended admirably and resolutely. Their organization was impressive, and for more than an hour, they stayed on even terms with one of the best teams on the planet.

That's nothing to be ashamed of.

APOEL's players should be proud of themselves tonight.

Chiotis Is a Good Keeper

Real Madrid's expensively assembled squad (one on-air estimate put the cost at 353 times that of APOEL's roster) needed 74 minutes to score.

Part of the reason for that was APOEL's defensive organization. Another part was the goalkeeping of Dionisis Chiotis.

The man with the name of a Greek god played the part at times, keeping Real at bay with brave, smart goalkeeping. And his best moment might have come after Real had found their breakthrough.

Moments after Benzema put Real ahead, the Frenchman chased after a smart ball in the APOEL box in search of another goal. But Chiotis came off his line alertly and stifled Benzema before he threaten the goal.

Tuesday night showed us that Chiotis' heroics in the Round of 16 penalty shootout were no fluke.

Even Real Can Miss

Even European bluebloods like Real Madrid sometimes miss easy chances. Before his two late goals, Karim Benzema spurned a glorious chance in the first half.

Nuri Sahin played a perfect cross from the left that Benzema only had to tap in at the far post.

Instead, he bounced his effort off the pitch and way over the bar from only a few yards out.

It didn't matter in the end, of course.

Hello There, Nuri Sahin

It's been a rough season for Nuri Sahin. After moving to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, the Turkish international has been sidelined for most of the year with injuries.

His Real debut didn't come until November, and his first goal finally arrived in December. With just nine matches left in the La Liga run-in, Sahin has made just two league appearances.

Sahin got a chance Tuesday night, and he rewarded manager Jose Mourinho's faith with a strong showing. He would have earned an assist if not for Benzema's poor finishing in the first half, and he displayed some of the creativity that helped Dortmund to the Bundesliga title last season.

One night can't make up for an overwhelmingly disappointing season, but it could serve as a new beginning.

Kaka Is Back-Ka

Jose Mourinho won the match with his substitutions thanks to Kaka's latest gem.

Early in the second half, Real Madrid lacked the creative spark needed to breakdown APOEL's organized defense. In response, Mourinho introduced Kaka and Marcelo for Gonzalo Higuain and Fabio Coentrao.

It worked, times two.

Kaka turned in yet another excellent performance, setting up Benzema's opener and scoring eight minutes later after an excellent run and cross from Marcelo, his fellow super-sub.

It was just what Real needed at the time, and it's been happening more and more often in recent weeks. After struggling for form early in the season, Kaka is now showing the kind of consistency that made him a superstar at AC Milan.

That could prove valuable for Real as the competition wears on.

Real Showed Patience

Real showed another potentially valuable trait Tuesday night—patience.

The visitors dominated possession throughout—77 percent to 23—but they created only a few decent chances in the first half, apart from Benzema's miss.

APOEL continued to frustrate Real in the second half, but Real didn't lose focus. Instead, Mourinho made two excellent substitutions, and his players kept plugging away—even on what was a relatively quiet night for Cristiano Ronaldo.

They knew they were good enough. They knew they could score. They knew it was only a matter of time.

Here's the thing, though, this team is good enough to score on anyone, including Barcelona.

If Real can maintain their focus and stay patient, they will be hard to beat.