Paris Saint-Germain delivered the most brutal performance seen at the Etihad since the 115 Core Decision, tearing Manchester City apart in an astonishing first half before holding on for a 4-2 win in the Champions League.
There was some humour to be had in the fact that the same people who have been arguing for the last week against states being involved in football teams will have been cheering for PSG as the good guys, but Enzo Maresca had bigger issues. His team were taken apart in a first half by a team who were levels above them and anyone they had faced this season.
First-half masterclass from PSG
Thank goodness City won at Anfield, for if they had not there would have been endless noise about how the players had crumbled in the wake of the guilty verdict. Instead, Maresca's first defeat as a City coach could be put down to a ruthless display from the best team in Europe.
PSG were a joy to watch, one of the finest teams to have stepped foot in the Etihad. The whole team passed the ball between each other brilliantly, and early goals from Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele were sumptuous.
City were stunned, and as they tried to recover they only played more into the hands of their opponents. Vitinha eased in a third before half-time and Maresca must have been wishing that Pep Guardiola can leave it longer before his next visit back.
City's remarkable second-half response
The Italian made three changes at half-time and they worked almost immediately, transforming the mood inside the ground. Iliman Ndiaye caused no end of problems and Erling Haaland headed home his 60th goal in 60 Champions League appearances to raise the roof of the stadium.
City should have further reduced the deficit before a horrible moment for Gianluigi Donnarumma saw it extend to three again, with the goalkeeper getting a strong hand to a Maghnes Akliouche effort but watching the ball spin back past him into the net.
The Blues roared back and again should have converted more of the chances they created. Enzo Fernandez and Haaland both hit the woodwork and Josko Gvardiol saw a header cleared off the line before City's No.9 scored again with 20 minutes to go.
Fortunes flip in a remarkable night
It made for a second half as remarkable as the first, with the fortunes of the two teams completely flipped. While they could not get any more goals back, it must be the best City have felt coming off the pitch after being thumped 4-2.
As wild as it was, it was entirely in keeping with City's theme of the night. To add to Guardiola's presence, the club orchestrated a fireworks show ahead of kick-off that referenced their drop down the divisions before a montage of some of their iconic moments in the last 30 years - up to and including Liverpool away on Sunday.
Martin Tyler's phrase "City are still alive here" from the 2012 title win rang around the ground, and CTID [City Till I Die] was held up by fans in a giant display across the Guardiola stand. Do not rule out another comeback, the club continue to insist as the world waits for their likely sentencing.
It didn't come on the night, with Luis Enrique's magnificent team holding on to hand Maresca his first reality check in the City hotseat. However, there was enough from his team in the second half to suggest that they too should not be written off.
