The quarter-finals of Euro 2020 are already under way and if they produce half the drama of the previous round we are in for a treat.
Two of the big games were played last night and many believe whoever triumphs in the Belgium v Italy clash could be the eventual tournament winners.
However, there have been so many shocks and surprises so far that it would be foolish to predict anything.
Interestingly, none of the teams in the opening round's "Group of Death" have made it to the last eight.
The round of 16 is often not particularly memorable, but that was far from the case in the current tournament.
The two games on Monday night produced 14 goals, a tense penalty shoot-out and a ridiculous own goal, with some calling it the most exciting day ever in the history of Euro competition.
Spain finally overcoming Croatia in a 5-3 thriller was exhausting enough to watch, but nothing could prepare us for the next match which also provided the shock of the tournament.
Switzerland upset the apple cart by defeating tournament favourites France 5-4 on penalties after rallying from 3-1 down in regular play.
No one saw that coming -- 12 out 15 BBC pundits had predicted France to win the tournament.
The defeat shocked not only France but the rest of Europe, although it hardly warranted the headline "Annihilation" which appeared in L'Equipe.
It was nonetheless a devastating loss for France, particularly for gifted striker Kylian Mbappe whose penalty miss proved the difference between the two sides.
The stunned star, clearly very upset, tweeted: "I'm sorry for the penalty miss. I wanted to help the team but failed."
French boss Didier Deschamps held up his hands saying: "I am responsible when things go badly."
Perhaps the most anticipated game was at Wembley the following evening when England took on their old foes Germany who had beaten the Three Lions the previous four times in knockout stages of tournaments.
England fans went into the match with an uncomfortable mixture of expectation and trepidation considering their poor record against their opponents.
It was a scrappy, tense affair between two rather average sides, but the 40,000 crowd of mainly England supporters really got into it.
After a year of Covid restrictions, the fans were primed to celebrate.
England manager Gareth Southgate commented: "It was as good an atmosphere that I can remember at Wembley."
As it turned out, England went on to record a 2-0 victory, although this German side were a far cry from some of their predecessors.
The win over their nemesis prompted unashamed glee amongst newspapers in England.
The Daily Express informed the public: "No, It Wasn't A Dream".
Probably speaking for the entire country, a relieved Daily Telegraph offered "Finally Something To Cheer About," while the Daily Mail could not resist "England's gladiators head for Rome".
Outstanding for England was Raheem Sterling who not only scored the crucial first goal but caused the German defence problems throughout the match.
Previously the target of much criticism, Sterling has now scored an impressive 15 goals in his last 20 internationals.
Jack Grealish only had 20 minutes but made an immediate impact, adding a new dimension to England's attack and was involved in both goals.
He will surely play a bigger role in matches to come. Also in top form was goalkeeper Jordan Pickford who didn't put a foot wrong and made a fantastic save from a Kai Havertz pile-driver.
The England defence played solidly.
Despite scoring England's second goal, Harry Kane looked sluggish and in the first half was completely anonymous.
He became more involved towards the end, coinciding with the arrival of Grealish.
It was a sad end to Joachim Loew's long reign as German manager.
"The disappointment weighs heavily," he said.
Just what the win meant to England was highlighted by former stars and now pundits Gary Lineker, Rio Ferdinand and Alan Shearer spontaneously leaping about in unashamed delight in the studio when Sterling scored the first goal.
The biggest enemy now is overconfidence, not something you normally associate with England.
There is euphoria over defeating Germany but the job is not completed. Ukraine will be no pushover and owing to Covid travel restrictions, England will have minimal support in Rome.
Southgate is well aware of potential pitfalls and while praising his team's "immense'' performance he warned against complacency.
"It's a dangerous moment for us," he said. "We have not achieved what we want to achieve yet."
For England, the win over Germany will feel rather hollow if they don't take full advantage of it.