Champions League Results 2013-14: Key Takeaways from Wednesday's Action

The fifth of six rounds in the 2013-14 Champions League group stage concluded Wednesday, which means that many clubs saw their names entered into the knockout stage while others were eliminated from contention.

When mid-week Champions League bouts come up, some of the best matchups present themselves from across professional football. Whether it's powerhouse programs going at it or differing styles clashing on the pitch, there's no shortage of excitement.

Let's break down the biggest takeaways from the Wednesday slate of games.

Man United Advance on Offensive Explosion

Manchester United haven't had an easy go of things this year, but they posted their best performance of the Champions League season and perhaps all competitions on Wednesday. 

In a 5-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, United were rolling offensively and seemed to only get better as the match progressed. Goals from Antonio Valencia, Nani, Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling (along with an own goal from Leverkusen) fueled the Red Devils.

Although he did not score, Wayne Rooney looked his sharpest in recent memory. He pushed into attacking zones, denied defenders access and played to his teammates well enough to secure two assists.

It hasn't been a seamless start to the season by any means as David Moyes looks to step out of the mammoth shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson, but United found plenty of promise to build on in Wednesday's win.

With this much talent on one squad, it's bound to click at some point, right?

Juventus Soar from Last to Second in 1 Day

Stuck at the bottom of a brutally tough Group B, Juventus needed a good result on Wednesday to even have a chance at advancing into the knockout stage.

Thanks to Arturo Vidal as well as Real Madrid's win over Galatasaray, Juventus are on the brink of getting out of Group B after a 3-1 win over FC Copenhagen.

Vidal netted a hat-trick on the day, with two goals from the penalty spot and a third via header in the 63rd minute to propel his side. Juventus were attacking at will offensively with 20 shots as a team and seven on goal.

Juventus were stuck at the bottom of Group B with just three points through four matches, but jumped both Copenhagen and Galatasaray in the standings with this win. They'll enter the final group stage match with a two-point advantage over those two foes.

10-Man PSG, Real Madrid Book Tickets to Round of 16

Both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain overcame a red card on Wednesday to win and advance into the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Sergio Ramos drew red with his questionable contact of Umut Bulut at the last line of defense in the 26th minute of Real Madrid's match with Galatasaray. Madrid were left with three defenders and gave up a quick goal but exploded in the second half to win 4-1.

PSG faced a similar situation against Olympiakos, losing midfielder Marco Verratti after a duo of yellows led to a 46th-minute red card. 

They led at the time thanks to a seventh-minute Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal but gave up an equalizer in the 80th minute. However, Edinson Cavani pushed PSG through in the 90th minute.

It's far from surprising that either of these powerhouse clubs punched their ticket to the knockout stage with a game to play. In fact, it would be a shocker to see either fail to advance. But it was impressive to see both sides overcome a red card to do so.