When Real Madrid were knocked out by Manchester City in the last-16 of the Champions League two years ago, it appeared to be the end of a cycle for that particular squad.
They were an ageing core whose past glories seemed to be receding into the distance. An overhaul was needed.
It's interesting then to look at the starting line-up from last night's first leg classic between the same sides. Real may have lost again but bringing a 4-3 deficit back to the Bernabeu for next week's second leg offers Carlo Ancelotti's side more than a glimmer of hope while City's superiority is tinged with some regret that the tie remains tight.
Of the starting XI that started in the first leg two years ago, only the centre-back pairing of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane (now winding down a career at PSG and part of a troubled Manchester United respectively), as well as Casemiro (not fit enough to start) and Isco did not reprise their starting roles at the Etihad Stadium. The 2020 second leg, almost six months later due to Covid-19, was even closer to last night's XI, with Toni Kroos, Eder Militao and young Brazilian forward Rodrygo all in situ.
Significantly, Karim Benzema, who appears to be peaking rather than showing signs of age at 34, and Luka Modric remain the standard-bearers.
But they, like the rest of their team-mates, were all sprawled on the canvas after 12 minutes in Manchester after being KO-ed by City's one-two punch, delivered by Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus.
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With Pep Guardiola's side on course for a third - only for Riyad Mahrez's decision to shoot rather than square the ball for a Phil Foden tap-in - Real Madrid looked down and out and far from playing a later role in a thriller.
Yet, as Foden surmised at full-time, the "game is still on" - improbably.
"We started really well in the first 20 minutes and we could have killed them off. I had a chance and Riyad had a great chance to kill them off and in these games we have to take our chances more," said the attacking midfielder.
Missed chances were one thing for sure and so were injuries at full-back which left square pegs in a round hole on the right - the good and bad seeing Fernandinho both create a goal by nipping in front of Vinicius Junior but then a similar situation ended up leading to a concession at the other end.
But, exemplified by Benzema in Europe this season, Real have that unquantifiable quality of being decisive at key moments and rising to the occasion in a street-wise manner.
It was a key component of their success in the Zinedine Zidane years when Champions League titles would arrive with regularlity despite a lack of consistency week to week domestically.
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City's left-back on the night Oleksandr Zinchenko reflected on that in the aftermath, saying: "(Real) have personality, every one of them and they know how to play at this stage in this competition. They have a lot of experience in the past."
Their run to the semi-final has had plenty of turning points when elimination appeared to be on the cards only for their veteran striker, aided by the speed and youthful exuberance of Vinicius, to guide them past PSG and Chelsea.
Last night was no different. Benzema's first goal was both opportunistic and deftly brilliant to leave Real trailing 2-1 but right back into the tie, planting a seed of doubt into the opposition who had otherwise been the better team.
And they ultimately did that three times on the night whenever City took a two-goal advantage, with Benzema's nerveless Panenka finally leaving things finely poised for the second leg.
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As Richie Sadlier said of that audacious spot kick: "So few players in that moment would consider doing that, let alone execute. You can't question him."
It's that cold-bloodedness when it matters that should worry City in the second leg. Yes, they were the better team last night as Bernardo Silva insisted and have more than enough depth and firepower to not only maintain their slender advantage but put the tie to bed.
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But a streetwise Real, who have virtually wrapped up the La Liga title already and can fully focus on preparing for City, will fancy their chances especially in their own stadium.
Ominously, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, in between bemoaning some of their own defending, did repeat the phrase "everything is still open" for the second leg three times and it shows where Real's mentality is at. City may well regret not landing the killer blow when the opportunity was there.
