The greatest goalscorer in European football had eased himself into the action when, suddenly, the path to history opened up in front of him.
Perhaps Everton’s defence had been lulled into a false sense of security over Cristiano Ronaldo, given he has spent much of this season on the bench, sulking, glowering and dealing with conjecture that his superpowers have waned. So when Casemiro nudged him forward, they backed off.
Big mistake. Ronaldo doesn’t move as quickly as he did in his prime but, at 38, he is still a phenomenon and knows how to score. And that is what he did, in the 44th minute.