They had not unleashed a single shot for nearly 60 minutes. They'd been saved by a post, and by the sprawling limbs of their 6-foot-4 goalkeeper, but for almost an hour, the underdogs in the 2022 Champions League final seemed to be delaying the inevitable. They were outclassed, overrun, undermanned, and they would, surely, at some point, succumb to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool machine.
But then, on 59 minutes, they offered up the ultimate counterpoint: They are Real Madrid.
They are Real Madrid, the most successful club in European soccer history, and the winner of a 14th European title on Saturday at the Stade de France in Paris.