A friendly is rarely a masterclass. Kevin Schade made it one.
The Brentford midfielder turned in a performance of startling completeness on Sunday, netting twice and setting up two more in a 7-0 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt. His reward: a perfect 10.0 match rating, the sort of mark that rarely survives contact with reality.
Schade's two goals headlined the carnage, but the pair of assists underlined his influence across the final third. Every key attacking moment seemed to flow through him, and Frankfurt had no answer. By the final whistle, the German visitors had been picked apart in what was supposed to be a routine run-out ahead of the new campaign.
The scoreline will raise eyebrows, friendlies or not. Brentford's seven goals represent the kind of margin that can reshape mood and momentum inside a squad, even if the stakes are hypothetical. For Schade, it was a chance to stamp his name on the pre-season narrative and he seized it with both hands.
Frankfurt, meanwhile, will want to forget this one quickly. Defensive organisation evaporated, and no matter the context or experimental line-ups, conceding seven is conceding seven. They return home with questions to answer before competitive fixtures resume.
Schade's day, by contrast, was flawless. Two goals, two assists, and a rating that needs no explanation.