Elland Road's stomach was crammed with butterflies on Sunday afternoon as Leeds United faced Norwich City.
They simply had to win.
Ahead of kick-off, nerves made way for intensity as the Whites' warm-up was cheered by those already in the ground.
As Stuart Attwell blew his whistle, the air was thick with tension, until Rodrigo's 14th-minute opener unleashed a torrent of emotion - mostly relief.
From that juncture, Leeds played with confidence and should have been at least two goals to the good at half-time.
Pascal Struijk's side-footed effort from inside the six-yard box somehow found its way into the South Stand, while Patrick Bamford's nonchalant left-footed finish whilst one-on-one with Canaries goalkeeper Tim Krul trundled wide of the mark.
Raphinha, meanwhile, struck the underside of the crossbar, latching onto Bamford's floated cross into the area; a move which he had started himself.
The Brazilian was Leeds' solitary driving force on Thursday evening when Aston Villa left Elland Road with three goals and three points.
He displayed that even in trying circumstances, his innate ability to shine, forcing the viewer to fixate on his every touch, could not be dampened by the sub-par performances of those around him.
While some supporters argued online that Raphinha cleared a very low bar in midweek, there can be no doubt that on Sunday afternoon, that base level of performance within the team had risen considerably.
He cleared that bar, too.
Results are often decided by moments of genius in the Premier League; it feels as though most teams have at least one individual capable.
Over the past two seasons, Leeds' success has been in their collective strength; even when flair players such as Raphinha have turned on the style, this hasn't always yielded a material difference to the end result.
On Sunday, Raphinha's contribution proved crucial.
Jesse Marsch has already, on several occasions, stressed the 'will to win' in this group of Leeds United players.
One could be excused for mistaking these comments for managerial platitudes from a head coach keen to make nice with all concerned, from players and staff to the most ardent widows of Marcelo Bielsa.
The 2-1 win over Norwich - which could yet prove vital in Leeds' bid to prolong their Premier League stay - was the clearest example of that desire; a vindication of the American's insistence.
For that, he has an enormous amount to thank the man who leads the dressing room by example: Raphinha.
While the euphoria of Joe Gelhardt's last-gasp winner will linger longingly like the most welcome of guests, Leeds United are still in a relegation dog-fight.
Eyes were trained on Match of the Day as Sunday turned into Monday, to witness Everton defeated once more and Watford pick up three valuable points on the road.
Leeds have played three games more than the Toffees, twice more than Sean Dyche's Burnley, too.
While Raphinha's efforts made a conscionable difference, they are not out of the woods just yet.
Rodrigo's embrace of the Brazilian at full-time told a story. It appeared as though he was close to tears.
In the Directors' Box, Victor Orta was.
Picked up by Sky Sports' cameras, the Leeds Director of Football was spotted mopping his eyes, once-manicured hair now endearingly unkempt like an uncoiled spring.
No doubt, he had been celebrating wildly and unashamedly.
One image from Sunday's victory endures in the memory. As Raphinha had cut the ball back for Gelhardt to heroically prod home and sprint to the north-west corner, where he was mobbed by the entire Leeds United squad, the Brazilian stood alone.
Adjacent to the Kop, momentum having almost bundled him over the advertising hoarding as the ball crossed the line, he celebrated.
There are few players to have graced Elland Road's hallowed turf in recent years - if ever - with Raphinha's poise, clarity and undeniable skill.
Boasting that in a fight for their lives must surely embolden this hardy Leeds United bunch.
As the dust settled on another palpating Elland Road afternoon, Raphinha took to Instagram, sharing an image of Rodrigo embracing him with all his might.
'Vamo caralho', he captioned it, in his native Portuguese. That sounds familiar.
