Erling Haaland lit up his new Manchester City teammates on his long-awaited debut as a dramatic lightning storm lit up the skies overhead, threatening to curtail their latest pre-season friendly in Green Bay not once, but twice.
In fact, after Haaland slid in to notch his first City goals just 12 minutes into his debut, the players were hastily taken off the field and a spectacular lightning storm descended on Lambeau Field for half an hour, threatening the game completely.
However, play would eventually resume and the match shortened to 80 minutes, with City edging a close encounter and Haaland putting in an electrifying performance on his first outing for the Blues.
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There was relief inside the stadium and outside in the rowdy tailgates when Haaland was named in the starting XI after his Houston no-show - and he made his presence felt from the moment he stepped out to warm up.
Some sharp finishes instantly set the bar for his fellow attackers to reach, and from kick-off he immediately sprinted upfield, chasing the Bayern passes back, while Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish failed to test Manuel Neuer with efforts that flashed wide of either post.
This was a game that had already been delayed for 15 minutes, though, as the pleasant weather outside turned into a rain storm as kick-off approached and supporters were instructed to retreat to the concourses due to a lightning strike in the area.
Play would start without any significant delay, though, and former Blue Leroy Sane saw a tap-in ruled out for offside. But with every chance, the lightning storm that caused the earlier postponement looked to be inching closer and grew similar gasps from the 78,000 fans present as much as any chance did as it lit up the skies overhead.
So when Haaland slid in to score his first City goal - after Kevin De Bruyne played into Jack Grealish, who's first touch was exquisite, and the cross inviting - that would prove the final touch for an hour.
The rain hammered down, the lightning lit up the sky, and the thunder grew louder, with only a few hundred fans defying the warnings to stay in the uncovered bowl to have a party in the middle of the apolcalyptic storm.
When the teams eventually resumed, the game was shortened to 40 minute halves, with both clubs flying back to Europe after the game. City sparked back into life, led by Haaland, who may have done better shooting when his cross was cut-out trying to return the favour to Grealish.
The number nine was playing like one, making runs on the shoulder of Dayot Upamecano whenever possible, even if City may need encouraging over the coming months to risk that direct ball for Haaland to run on to. Even still, it was evident in the shortened half, that Haaland will signal a shift in how City attack, knowing they have a willing runner and target man to aim for in the box.
The perfection of those balls to feed Haaland will come, with a few misplaced or misjudged here. The runs and vision will encourage Guardiola for now, with plenty of time for these players to get to know each other. When Bernardo controlled well in the area and teed up Haaland to finish again, the flag denied him a second goal, but the positive signs were there.
Haaland was withdrawn at the break, as Julian Alvarez replaced him and looked bright again after his encouraging debut in Houston. Josh Wilson-Esbrand, surely just a placeholder on the left to allow Joao Cancelo to have a run-out on the right. Wilson-Esbrand was brilliant, though, and stayed on for the duration, holding his own against Kingsley Coman and looking the part in attack, too.
Guardiola namechecked Wilson-Esbrand as a cover option at left-back this season, and on this showing against a European giant, he'd be worth that risk. Rico Lewis, on the other side, showed promise in his five-minute involvement, wriggling through the Bayern defence and hitting the post late on.
Grealish was enjoying himself again, too, albeit with a few fewer kicks that he got the other night. As pre-season 'winners' go, Grealish and Wilson-Esbrand will be among them.
But the night will be all about Haaland, who started the tour as a 'Norwegian meat shield', and ended it as a player who sparked a huge electric storm with his first goal in Blue - a goal that of course proved to the winner in a night of drama in the skies and progression on the pitch.
The Premier League have been warned. Haaland is arriving soon, and he won't be coming quietly.
