At the end of this extraordinary Champions League quarter-final, an elated Mauricio Pochettino ran across to the celebrating Tottenham fans screaming out his delight. Up in the stands it was impossible to hear what he was shouting. But presumably it was "football, bloody hell". Or whatever the equivalent is that they use on the streets of Buenos Aires.

Because this was the most astonishing football match you will ever see. A game won at the last not so much through its breathless attacking play as by the intervention of the video assistant referee, who spotted that Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero was offside before Raheem Sterling delivered the injury-time strike that had sent East Manchester into temporary ecstasy.

From the off, this was a contest that scorched itself on to the memory. As early as 10 minutes in, a chap in the expensive seats in front of the press box at the Etihad Stadium turned to his companion, a look of utter bemusement on his face and asked: What the heck’s happening? Except he didn’t say heck.

It was a good point. Nobody saw this coming. The expectation beforehand was for a cagey, careful, considered tactical battle. A chess match on turf. It had been widely reckoned whoever scored the first goal would hold the upper hand.