The really unfathomable part at the end of it all was why Pep Guardiola felt minded to kiss his runners-up medal.
Others, like the tear-streaked Oleksandr Zinchenko, ripped theirs from around their necks and trudged away to contemplate the utter wretchedness of it all.
Guardiola even made a joke about the losers' medal when receiving his.
When it comes to Guardiola and crucial moments in the Champions League, things really do make no sense at all.
He knew from bitter experience that major structural change to the team at a moment like this can bite you.