Nobody had ever scored a Champions League hat-trick against Real Madrid before 24 April 2013 - so the idea of a player netting four in one game was basically insane.
Good job nobody told Robert Lewandowski. Borussia Dortmund's Pole delivered a striking masterclass - at one point netting three goals in 17 minutes - as Real were dismantled 4-1 in a semi-final first leg.
"That was like Robin Hood taking from the rich," grinned Jurgen Klopp afterwards, while Jose Mourinho could only say: "It is obvious that the best team won."
When you've run Jose out of excuses, you've basically completed football.
As well as spoiling Jose's night, Lewandowski also wrecked Pepe. He lost his "marker" for the first goal, beat Pepe's awful offside trap for the second, then - best of all - showed slick footwork to fox Real's centre-back for the third, before lashing into the roof of the net.
That made it 3-1 - Cristiano Ronaldo having scored Real's sole goal - but Lewandowski gave this one-sided game the scoreline it deserved when he scored his fourth from the spot.
Even his penalty was spectacular, as he thumped the ball down the centre like his foot was the hammer of Thor. Diego Lopez wisely dived out of the way.
Lewandowski had showed Europe what Klopp's fast-paced, heavy metal football was all about - and confirmed his incredible scoring prowess
The total package as a striker, the then 24-year-old boasted not just height, strength, speed and finishing but also clever movement and superb technique with either foot.
It was also a sign of his career-long habit of scoring in incredible bursts, such as the five goals he got in nine minutes against Wolfsburg in 2015.
Those goals came for Bayern Munich, the club that fought off competition from Man United and Real themselves to sign Lewandowski that summer - and the team that eventually beat Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League final.
But for many football fans the most iconic Lewandowski image is him in neon yellow, putting the kings of Europe to the sword in front of Dortmund's deafening home support. Absolute scenes - especially when you consider the 2020 equivalent is a big-haired Rob on TikTok, showcasing his unusual dance moves.
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All imagery: PA Images
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, Robert Lewandowski, Borussia Dortmund, Jurgen Klopp, Champions League, Real Madrid, Bundesliga