Forty thousand in Turin held their breath as Cristiano Ronaldo sprang into the air and prepared for acrobatics.
Everyone knew the discipline he was about to attempt came with a high degree of difficult but few doubted him.
Sure enough, Ronaldo performed a perfectly executed scissor-kick and directed the cross from Dani Carvajal past the frozen figure of Gigi Buffon.
The ball nestled into the net and Real Madrid were 2-0 up, well on their way to the last four of a competition they have won for the last two years and three times in the last four.
Forty thousand in Turin climbed to their feet and slowly they started to applaud. Just a ripple at first but it grew louder.
They didn’t like it but the Juventus faithful were prepared to acknowledge a genius at work. Such moments are rare in a sport of tribes but such is the effect of an incredible footballer.
Ronaldo, having already scored the opener, basked in the acclaim. Here was another crucial game, more goals, another Champions League record and he is not about to become bored.
His goals here struck for the 10th successive game in this competition, a sequence which began in last year’s final against Juve.
Since then, he has scored in all six of Real Madrid’s group games and both legs of the last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
On Tuesday night, he pocketed a valuable away goal within three minutes of the kick-off and added the remarkable acrobatic second.
From Cardiff to Turin he has led Real Madrid in pursuit of another European title.
Another will take his personal record to five, which would take him level with four others and only one behind Paco Gento on six.
Do not discount it. He is 33 but Ronaldo is getting better, certainly more influential.
He was furious with himself as he missed the chances to complete a hat-trick but his brilliant second knocked the fight from Juventus, reduced to 10 men, soon after, when Pablo Dybala was sent off.
Marcelo stormed forward from left-back to knock in the third and the Italian champions, beaten for the first time since November, were left to digest another humbling on at the hands of Real Madrid.
Zinedine Zidane selected the same team which started against them in the final Cardiff 10 months ago.
This meant no place in the starting line-up for Gareth Bale, despite two goals in a 3-0 win at Las Palmas on Saturday.
Zidane’s faith in Isco in the playmaker’s role was well placed, however, and the tie was less than three minutes old when he created the opening goal.
As Isco danced into the penalty area from the left, Ronaldo made his move.
Much has been made of the way he has refined his game since maturing into his thirties.
He is more of a striker than a prancing winger but make no mistake the turbo boost is there when needed, albeit more frequently over 10 yards than 50.
With an injection of pace, Ronaldo eased across the Juventus centre-halves and stabbed at Isco’s low cross with the outside of his right foot, sending the ball whistling past Gigi Buffon.
His form in this competition is remarkable. So, too, his recent goal record. He has scored 23 in a dozen games for Real Madrid.
Throw in a couple of headers against Egypt which turned a friendly in Portugal’s favour in stoppage time, during the international break, if you wish.