This truly felt like a game of seismic proportions.
The build-up to this derby clash between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce was feisty and loud, while the neutral was absolutely enthralled by the potential of what was to come. This felt like a proper title decider - a Super Lig final of sorts - between two clubs with so much animosity towards each other.
There was a lot of talk about the referee appointment before the game, too, with both clubs sending jabs at each other, and Galatasaray being particularly unhappy with the choice of Yasin Kol.
Fenerbahce arrived at the game knowing they needed to win at Rams Park. Four points behind with just four games left to play, a draw wouldn't be enough for them. They had to stun their rivals on their home turf and cut the gap down to just a single point.
Galatasaray had a little more breathing space, but they weren't going to play for a draw. They wanted to beat Fenerbahce and truly kill off their chances of winning the title, and make the next few weeks enjoyable for their fans.
The three-time defending champions were boosted by the return of Victor Osimhen to the starting XI, but Marco Asensio was only fit enough for the bench for the visitors.
Fener forward Kerem Akturkoglu was also returning to the stadium he once called home, having spent five years at Gala before moving to Benfica. As you can imagine, he didn't get a warm reception before and during the game.
So the contest began, and interestingly, Fener were by far the stronger team for the first 15 minutes. Their high press was causing Gala all sorts of problems, as they struggled to play out from the back and string passes together.
And they were rewarded for their rapid start when Davinson Sanchez fouled Sidiki Cherif in the box, giving Fener a penalty. A dream scenario for the away team. A chance to quieten the home crowd and gain some early momentum.
Anderson Talisca stepped up... and put his effort wide of the post. The crowd's roar was deafening, and Talisca could barely believe what he had done.
Truthfully, that was the deciding moment of the match. Fener were dejected, and the momentum swung on its head.
Gala started upping the tempo and playing with more confidence, while Fener were strangely lethargic and forlorn. Had that penalty miss really sapped them that badly?
The pressure was being increased, and Gala should have been awarded a penalty when Leroy Sane was clearly tripped in the penalty area.
However, finally, they took the lead five minutes before half-time. Ismail Jakobs launched a long throw into the box, Mario Lemina got a flick on, and Osimhen managed to control it brilliantly before flicking the ball into the net off his knee.
A 13th goal of a Super Lig season that has been interrupted by injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations for the Nigerian, and he made his impact known in the biggest of games. That is why they spent all that money on him.
The half-time break came, but nothing changed as they came out from the interval. Galatasaray were looking to kill this game off.
Lucas Torreira thought he had doubled his side's lead, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Ederson sent off
But after an hour, Fener's fate was sealed.
Yunus Akgun was tripped in the area, and another penalty was awarded. Goalkeeper Ederson then, knowing he was already on a booking, started speaking aggressively to the referee, and refused to back away from the penalty spot when he was warned several times.
After being given a number of chances to get in goal, he was eventually handed a second yellow for his petulance, and he was sent off.
A really bad moment for the former Manchester City man. He has endured a torrid time since moving to Fener, making mistakes and costing his side games.
But this was idiotic and unprofessional from the Brazilian, and he let his teammates down, almost like he was begging to be sent off.
Baris Alper Yilmaz then slotted home the penalty, delivering a pretty Cristiano Ronaldo-like celebration as he flexed in front of the cameras. That was as good as game over.
Fener were going through the motions from then on, and the Gala players and fans were really enjoying themselves. They were humiliating their enemies.
Torreira - who had a fantastic game - put the cherry on the cake with around 10 minutes to go, capitalising on an error from substitute goalkeeper Mert Gunok to seal a 3-0 win, moving seven points clear and all but wrapping up the title for Gala.
Barring the first 15 minutes, it was a statement, sensational win from Gala, demonstrating why they have dominated Turkey over the last few years and how far ahead they are of anyone else in the country.
Sane had one of his best games in a Galatasaray shirt, and players like Lemina, Torreira and Sanchez, who have all had mixed seasons, really raised their level and were excellent.
Manager Okan Buruk gets a lot of stick for his style of football, being quite one-dimensional and reliant on the individual ability of his players. But he is now set to become only the second man in Super Lig history to win four consecutive titles, after Fatih Terim achieved the feat from 1996 to 2000 with Gala.
It'll also be a record-extending 26th Super Lig title.
Fener's failure
For Fener, it is an abysmal result in another failure of a campaign.
Like Gala, they spent bucketloads of money, with the sole focus of winning the league for the first time in 12 years. That drought for a club like Fener is unacceptable, and they have gone all out to end the barren run and win their 20th title.
Yet they have consistently faltered in the biggest moments, and the effort and behaviour of some of the players in this game were alarming and telling.
The repercussions of the loss have been gigantic.
Head coach Domenico Tedeso and Sporting Director Devin Ozek were fired the following day, yet the issues run deeper than them. Managers have come and gone, but the team keeps failing in the same way.
The club's culture is completely wrong, from the very top to the bottom. There is a victim culture ingrained throughout, that everyone is against them, that they are fighting against the system.
They never blame themselves, even though they consistently make strange choices in the transfer market and tend to fold in games in exactly the same way on a regular basis.
N'Golo Kante was a passenger in the game against Gala, completely drowning in midfield. But what did they expect?
He is 35 years old, has been playing in Saudi Arabia, and is a shadow of the player he once was. Why did they chase him all January and pay such substantial figures to get him to the club?
They got rid of Jhon Duran and Youssef En-Nesyri in the winter, and replaced them with 19-year-old Cherif as their only striker option. How can they leave themselves short in such an important position?
Fener have now announced an extraordinary general congress for this June, in which there will be a general election for a new Club President.
Current President, Sadettin Saran, who took over from Ali Koc last year, will step down from his role, as they search for someone else to lead the club.
They need someone to change the football club's mentality, employ people who are willing to take responsibility and make sensible decisions, and keep things focused on themselves rather than creating loads of outside noise.
It is going to be an uncertain and painful few months for the club, both on and off the pitch.
Yet it could have been even worse for them.
Trabzonspor lost 2-1 at Konyaspor on Monday night, courtesy of a brace from former Galatasaray player Berkan Kutlu, meaning they have picked up just two points out of a possible previous nine.
They may have thrown away a second-place finish, and if they had won all those three games, they'd have been two points off Gala at the top!
They have faded away and missed a massive opportunity. They do remain just two points behind Fener, though, and they will be hoping to sneak past them and still finish second, which would be an even bigger disaster for the Istanbul outfit.
Team of the Week
Umut Bozok is the Flashscore Player of the Week, according to our very own internal ratings system, after he scored a goal and picked up two assists in Eyupspor's crucial 2-0 win over Gaziantep, which saw them move out of the relegation zone.
Konya's Berkan also makes the team alongside Galatasaray duo Torreira and Osimhen, while Besiktas's Emmanuel Agbadou finds a spot in defence.