Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have both responded in the same way with the pressure cranked up on the duo.
The two are used to sharing the spotlight but that has intensified after their big summer transfers.
Messi called time on his career at Barcelona after a contract dispute that meant he could not renew his deal with Los Cules.
While Ronaldo has made a grand return to Manchester United - 12 years after leaving for the first time.
It has led to both clubs being tipped for the biggest prizes but they need their new talisman forwards to perform.
And they did exactly that in the most dramatic of circumstances when their teams needed them at their most.
Paris Saint-Germain were 1-0 up against Manchester City in a match many have tipped to be the final this season.
It was late when Messi struck but it was worth the wait, slotting a left-footed drive past Ederson to double the lead for the French side to score his first goal for another club.
While at Old Trafford there was even more drama when United were in dire need of a win following their Young Boys disappointment in the last Champions League fixture.
Villarreal had scored first before Alex Telles equalised with a brilliant volley five minutes later.
The Spanish side had plenty of chances to claim all three points in the match but David de Gea stood in the way before Ronaldo dispatched the winner with seconds left on the clock.
It was the exact reason why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought in the 36-year-old - even when they are not playing well, United can still grab victory.
There is a similar reason to PSG’s way of thinking when they forked out to sign Messi on a free transfer.
They are desperate to win the Champions League and have thrown millions in the transfer window trying to do so but have always faltered at some stage.
Now with Messi in their ranks, they have never stood a better chance of finally lifting the trophy.
United will feel they, too, can finally bring some silverware to the club - not least the Premier League - a competition they have not won since 2013 with Sir Alex Ferguson in charge.
This week felt like a momentous push towards their goals for either side and anything is possible when employing the two best players the world has probably ever seen.
