Manchester City thrived for at least some of the 90 minutes at the Bernabeu and, more importantly, they survived all of them.
There were times in the second half when Real Madrid pulled the Premier League champions one way and then the other, side to side, before cutting through them and fashioning shots at goal. It was the sort of ruthless suffocation that City are used to employing against opponents domestically, and it was very much against the run of play when instead of conceding a second goal they bagged an equaliser through Kevin De Bruyne.
Real kept pushing and an excellent defensive effort including some decent saves from Ederson confirmed a 1-1 draw that City will be happy to take into the second leg, yet there was no denying that the players had been put through the mill. With Pep Guardiola not turning to any substitutes, everyone on the pitch will have to wait to see how they recover.
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It was similar after the match in Munich, where despite City's 3-0 lead from the first leg they were made to run all over the pitch by a Bayern whipped into a frenzy by Thomas Tuchel. The Blues had more of the ball in Madrid, but it was still physically and mentally sapping to come up against this monstrous Real side.
As was the case after Bayern, Guardiola may see the aftermath bleeding into their attempts on the Treble. The game in Munich was so tiring that not only did some players tell the medical staff that they could not play in the FA Cup semi-final days later but some said the same for the Leeds match at the weekend.
City's manager said before this game that while it was good for their Premier League chances not to be in action until Sunday, it wasn't good for the Champions League that they would then be called into action again with Real Madrid on the Wednesday. The decision not to make any substitutes at the Bernabeu, while understandable, will only have exacerbated that.
It may be that City are able to find some respite during the match at Goodison Park, and Everton should have slightly less desperation after their terrific 5-1 win at Brighton eased relegation fears, but it is still more hope than expectation to think that the effects of the Real game will not be felt in their pursuit of the Premier League and Champions League trophies.
In the absence of proper recovery, the momentum of the 21-game unbeaten streak and knowledge that they are now seven games away from a historic Treble - and 24-hour assistance from the medical team - will have to keep the players going.
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