Gabriel Jesus left the pitch in tears. Raheem Sterling was distraught after spurning a huge opportunity to equalise. Kevin De Bruyne was just plain fed-up.
Manchester City were left shattered after blowing their big chance in the Champions League with a disastrous 3-1 defeat against Lyon and now Pep Guardiola must pick up the pieces.
The City boss must take his share of the blame on a night when he got his tactics wrong, but now is the time when he must show why many consider him to still be the best coach in the world.
With just 27 days until the new Premier League season starts - although City will likely be given an extra weekend off because of their European excursion - Guardiola has to turn around the mood in the club and fast.
There can be no moping around if they are to put in a serious challenge to Liverpool after failing to get close to the Premier League champions last season.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are certain to be ready for a title defence after an extended break following their own Champions League disappointment. They have had five months and a title party to get over that.
Chelsea will also be reinvigorated with Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner seriously enhancing their chances of a title challenge while even Manchester United will have an extra spring in their step if they can go onto win the Europa League and possibly bring in winger Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.
City finished a poor season with a crushing disappointment and with a compacted fixture schedule in the new campaign, Guardiola has to somehow ensure his squad put it behind them quickly.
“We know it, the show must go on," the City boss said.
“It’s time for the players to take a short break, we’re going to get in as many days as possible and we have to get back because next season will be so strong and demanding.
“But now is not the time to think too much about this. We must try to sleep a little bit and after 24-48 hours, start to think about next season."
Senior players, understandably, took their Champions League exit badly.
Sterling has had his best ever goal-scoring season with 31 goals, but his campaign may well be remembered for his horror miss against Lyon that could have taken the game to extra time.
Sergio Aguero never even made it to Portugal as he worked hard to try to get over knee surgery in Barcelona.
De Bruyne has been named Premier League Player of the Year, but it will be little consolation after another Champions League campaign came to a premature end.
The Belgian has played in just one semi-final since moving to the Etihad Stadium and that was four years ago when City were beaten by Real Madrid under Manuel Pellegrini.
“It's a different year, same stuff,” he admitted candidly after the game.
A last-16 defeat to Monaco followed by quarter-final exits to Liverpool, Tottenham and now a Lyon team that finished seventh in Ligue 1 is not good enough for a club that wants to be among the European elite.
Raising spirits for the Premier League will be difficult, but raising spirits for a Champions League campaign that has consistenly delivered such disappointment - and restarts in two months - will be even harder.
“After the break and when we start the competition again we will recover, we will restart it again and to try to do it again,” Guardiola insisted.
“I'm not able with these guys to break this line to the quarter-finals - three years in a row and we are out.
“I think after what these guys have done, we deserve to do it again or to go through and reach the semi-finals, but we were not able to.
"But life is how you stand up again and next season we're going to try again.”
Guardiola can at least look to fresh faces to add energy to their early fixtures after the devastation of their Champions League exit.
Winger Ferran Torres and centre-back Nathan Ake have already been added to the squad and there are sure to be two or three more additions.
He can also look to his youthful players such as Phil Foden and Tommy Doyle, who will be eager to play a major part in the new campaign.
But Guardiola has just 12 months remaining on his City contract and his squad needs to hit the ground running if they are to make it a memorable final season.
Liverpool dropped just two points in the first six months of last season and City cannot afford to slip behind in the early months again.
This will also be Guardiola’s final shot at delivering the Champions League prize that he was brought to club to win and he must get his players hunger back for another crack at European success.
The next few weeks could go a long way to deciding Guardiola’s final season and ultimately his legacy. The City boss has to get it right.
