The three days between the Bernabéu baptism and the trip to the BayArena were a blur of ice baths, physiotherapy, and tactical meetings.
The heroic, defiant goal Mateo had scored had injected a vital dose of belief back into the squad, but it couldn't erase the physical and emotional toll of the 3-1 defeat.
The bodies were aching, the minds were weary. The dream of a Champions League final was hanging by a thread, and now they had to drag their exhausted frames back into the relentless attrition of the Bundesliga title race.
Bayer Leverkusen away was, under normal circumstances, a fixture that demanded full-throttle commitment. Under the guidance of former Liverpool legend Sami Hyypiä, they were a disciplined, athletic, and dangerous side.
