It was just like old times as José Mourinho ended a night at Camp Nou with a knee slide and three points José Mourinho had already done the por qué?, the printout and the press conference no-show in under 100 days.
The night it could have been all over, the title race done when it’s not even in November, was instead the night it finally started.
Counting the clásicos all those years ago, Mourinho racked up his sixth consecutive meeting with Barcelona without defeat, and there had been no parked bus, nor many lumps kicked.
Now he’s done a knee slide too, and in the perfect place: back where it all began and where it can all begin again.
Madrid have won five in succession now; something was seen that night, a way ahead.
At full time, Mourinho headed on to the pitch and shook Lunin’s hand as all around players embraced.
And since Mourinho grew a beard, if you believe in that kind of thing.
Yet this was still a faster, more aggressive, tighter Madrid than anyone expected.
High in the north-east corner, Madrid’s fans stayed and sang.