Karim Benzema had scored the only goal of the night and was about to receive the trophy for player of the match, but, with four minutes to go, two men on the Real Madrid bench looked more satisfied than the Frenchman.
Perched on their cushioned seats, clearly exhausted, holding energy drinks and with their socks covered in mud and grass, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were contemplating their great deed as they untied the laces of their boots. The two compasses of Carlo Ancelotti's side could rest.
The curtain was about to fall on Madrid's 6-2 aggregate victory in the Champions League last-16 against Liverpool and, for the umpteenth time, Kroos and Modric, 33 and 37 respectively, had proved to fans and detractors that they are as important to their team as ever. As if to underline the point, Ancelotti had substituted both to applause from the Santiago Bernabeu stands.
Kroos' impact on the game had been immediate. Not even two minutes had gone by when the German set Benzema racing clear in what seemed to be a first clear chance, before play was called back for offside.
The tone was set. Madrid wanted to be the ones to impose the pace of the game through quick combinations, especially in the first half hour. Modric and Kroos were key to that and it overwhelmed Liverpool, who came out with four men in attack and could not cope in the middle of the pitch.
In this second leg, casualties forced Fabinho to play alongside veteran James Milner in Liverpool's midfield. They had two in reply to the four of Madrid — who usually include Federico Valverde in the battle even if he starts as a right-winger. So equally, when Modric and Kroos decided to slow the pace of the game before the first half ended, Madrid did not lose dominance either. Everything was under control.
There was only one person who seemed concerned: Davide Ancelotti. Madrid's assistant coach occasionally went out into the technical area to coordinate with Kroos and ask him to contain the Reds' swift counter-attacks. But none of these came to fruition, with Madrid's number eight winning five duels, including two tackles timed to prevent escapes. Then Kroos became the one to initiate play, for Modric to invent.
In the second half, Jurgen Klopp attempted to strengthen his midfield, with Harvey Elliott replacing Darwin Nunez. But Madrid were still comfortable thanks to their two veterans.
It was a night of many missed chances for Madrid. They struggled with accuracy and their one goal came from 17 shots, of which only eight were on target. Perhaps that was why, at times, there seemed to be a tendency to try to sedate the game.
Kroos and Modric still contributed in attack, both testing Alisson. And Modric, moving more freely as the second half wore on, tricked his way past Trent Alexander-Arnold and crossed into the heart of the box for Valverde, who really should have opened the scoring.
The Uruguayan's shot went narrowly over the bar but it lifted the Bernabeu and its fans from something of a lull. It was a clear prelude to Benzema's goal, which came from Vinicius Junior's quick reaction on the ground but was cooked by Madrid's numbers eight and 10 in the build-up. It was no wonder that when Modric left the pitch in the 82nd minute, and Kroos in the 84th, fans in the stadium, including some Liverpool supporters, rose to applaud them.
Eduardo Camavinga also impressed in midfield, but there can be no doubt: it was clear that Modric and Kroos decided the tie against Klopp's side.
Croatian Modric, 37, is yet to sign an extension to his current Madrid deal (Photo: Will Palmer/Getty Images)
Kroos only played three minutes of the first leg, having not trained until the day of the match due to suspected gastroenteritis. But, at the time, his last-minute and unexpected recovery was seen behind closed doors as a major boost. Modric was the one who shone at Anfield, replaced by his fellow veteran with Madrid 5-2 up. That scoreline killed the contest.
Both players' contracts expire this summer and people have started to ask: why can't we continue to enjoy them?
Their team-mate, Thibaut Courtois, said to The Athletic in the mixed zone after Wednesday's game: “I think they are great players, I think the whole stadium appreciates their quality. It's not a decision from the team or from them personally, but we'll see what happens.”
In his post-match news conference, Ancelotti said of the pair: “They played brilliantly because they brought the ball out from the back so well and really helped us keep the game under control.
“The veterans' humility is so important because they don't have egos. Then it's also important that the young players are patient because they know they have guys who have had fantastic careers ahead of them.
“Modric and Kroos don't play because of what they've done, they play because they deserve to.”