Manchester City players gathered around the corner flag to celebrate in front of their fans after Kevin De Bruyne scored the only goal in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
"Celebrate" is definitely pushing things a little too far. The strange thing about Manchester City's winning goal was how unimpressed everyone seemed to be with it.
De Bruyne's face was twisted into a growl. Bernardo Silva defiantly yelled at the crowd. To be honest, Nathan Aké appeared to be overjoyed to be there.
Pep Guardiola violently threw a water bottle to the ground, seemingly upset with himself for feeling so relieved.
But that's what it's like to play against Atlético Madrid. They will discover and ruin whatever joy you previously felt about football or life itself.
If they can't win, they'll take away all the pleasure of triumph from you. Guardiola was still scowling as he walked away from the ground for his post-match interviews.
Yes, Atlético had suffered a defeat. But it didn't feel like anyone had really won.
The dogged Atletico defense couldn't hold Manchester City for 90 minutes
For much of the evening, the Etihad Stadium had been a tense and irritable place. Manchester City supporters are accustomed to watching these games with clenched teeth, with countless hopeful through-balls, blocked shots, and cleared crosses.
The Champions League anthem was booed. The players from Atlético Madrid were booed for refusing to take a knee.
When the Romanian referee booked Gabriel Jesus late in the game, they booed him. Atlético's tactical fouls and amateur dramatics, as well as their pratfalling and timewasting, were savaged.
Jan Oblak once caught a Manchester City cross and held it in his hands for 20 seconds, as if it were a sleeping infant. It was the ninth minute of the game.
Every Manchester City outfielder was ensconced in Atlético's half. Ederson was changing into comfortable clothes and ordering a Deliveroo bag at the City end.
Could Atlético keep this grizzled backline going for another 80 minutes, let alone another 170?
If any team could do it, it would be Diego Simeone's Atletico. Under City's relentless pressure, the onslaught of high-stakes decisions, and the flood of stress, most sides quickly fracture.
Playing for Simeone, on the other hand, is a constant state of anxiety. Training is a source of anxiety. Team meetings are a source of anxiety. It's stressful to accidentally catch Simeone's sight in the corridor or ask him to pass the marmalade at breakfast.
As Manchester City opened the curtain on their theater of suffering, they found a receptive audience already seated. A half-hour later, very little had changed. There was a mutual standstill. The Etihad Stadium continued to grumble softly.
Oblak had yet to make a save when the second half began. Meanwhile, Ederson was listening to a podcast in the City half.
It was a three-way switch. Gabriel Jesus replaced Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish came on for Ilkay Gündogan, and Phil Foden for Riyad Mahrez. Atlético had a new puzzle to solve right away.
When it comes to Mahrez, you know he'll cut in from the right and look for an opening at some point. You have no idea what to expect from Foden. As a result, the 21-year-old English prodigy was standing in a perfect square of space limited by four Atlético players less than a minute after entering the pitch.
Foden received the ball, looked around and saw De Bruyne. He could have made the pass right away if he had wanted to. However, something didn't feel quite right.
There was an excessive amount of space. He retained the ball and kicked it from foot to foot, luring the red shirts in his direction.
In close games, this is possibly Foden's strongest quality: he wants you to track him down, to get so close that you can smell the Lynx on his neck.
That's when he takes care of you. Foden slipped the ball between his legs as Reinildo Mandava dove in, the third change of direction in a matter of seconds.
At that pace, no defense can keep up with the movement. Even the eye is having a hard time.
As De Bruyne raced clear and tucked in a low finish, a tense, weary game saw its first true moment of elegance.
It would not, however, be the last. Foden played Atlético like an accordion during the final 20 minutes, as City threatened a second goal that would effectively end the tie.
He made a fantastic shuffling run down the right flank and along the goalline, almost reaching Oblak's left post.
With four minutes remaining, De Bruyne received another lovely sliding pass, but his cross was cleared. That was the last of them, at least until April 13. Naturally, this game raises a slew of unrelated questions.
Can Manchester City regain their composure in time to face Liverpool on Sunday? Will a single goal suffice in Madrid? Is it reasonable to expect the Spanish champions to play with a little more zeal in their season's most important match?
For the time being, however, it is Manchester City – and the great, transforming Foden – who have posed the most difficult of questions.