On the morning of Real Madrid's meeting with Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu, MARCA revealed that coach Zinedine Zidane would show us his 'Plan B'.
Presumably, the 'B' was for 'Brazil'. Or perhaps 'brilliant'.
On Wednesday evening, Zidane's brave gamble to rest players ahead of the weekend's Madrid derby paid off spectacularly, as his two boys from Brazil, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, combined to earn the hosts a 2-0 victory that put them top of the Liga table.
Crisis? What crisis? Suddenly, the embarrassing Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain seems a long time ago.
After two consecutive wins in Liga, over Sevilla and now Osasuna, following the Parc des Princes debacle, Real are one point clear of city rivals and second-placed Atletico ahead of Saturday's trip to the Wanda Metropolitano.
They will make that short journey across the city with renewed optimism and with exciting options off the bench.
Vinicius Junior's lack of game time so far this season had been a cause of much debate up until this point of the season.
Zidane had grown weary of reports that he didn't have as much faith in the 19-year-old as his predecessor, Santiago Solari, even snapping at reporters earlier this month.
"I don't have confidence in who?" the Frenchman barked. "He has my complete confidence, I can guarantee that. Stop saying this, because he's a good player and he's in my plans."
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Vinicius spent all of last weekend's win over Sevilla on the bench but he was given a second start of the season against Osasuna, and he made the most of it.
He was a livewire throughout, attempting 14 dribbles in total – a new Liga high for 2019-20 – and broke the deadlock with a curling effort from outside the area nine minutes before the break.
This game may have been viewed as little more than a warm-up for the Madrid derby for many players and fans but it meant the world to the teenager, who was reduced to tears by what was his first goal since February.
His shot had taken a crucial deflection, off Raul Navas, but Vinicius didn't care. An untimely ligament injury had checked the remarkable rate of progress he was enjoying last season. It robbed him of his starting spot. It had even delayed his Brazil debut.
For Vinicius, then, this goal was about putting his injury agony behind him. It felt like the resumption of his Real career.
Rodrygo's has only just begun, of course. But, just like his compatriot, he too looks like he is in a rush to make a name for himself.
The summer signing from Santos was just 93 seconds into his Madrid debut when he instantaneously controlled a crossfield pass from Casemiro in his stride before cutting inside and then sweeping the ball confidently into the bottom corner of the Osasuna goal.
Only the Brazilian Ronaldo had ever marked his Real debut with a quicker goal (63 seconds).
What was most striking about Rodrygo's finish was that the 18-year-old looked like he had been producing such moments of magic for Real for years. He celebrated with the same swagger, bowing then before a bewitched Bernabeu crowd.
The two boys from Brazil had blown them away.
Zidane's 'Plan B' has been worth waiting for.