Looking through the possibilities of the teams Tottenham Hotspur could have drawn in the Champions League round of 16, prior to Monday’s draw, instilled a sense of pride.
To be in the same company as the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and others shows that Spurs are a club on the up – one with lofty ambitions.
While Tottenham could have drawn some of the biggest clubs in Europe, eventual sparring partners Borussia Dortmund pose an interesting proposition.
It could be said that Mauricio Pochettino and the Spurs faithful should be relieved to have missed some of the so-called heavy hitters, but the Ruhr Valley outfit are far from a soft touch.
Tottenham beat Dortmund twice in the Champions League last season, but the German outfit are a much more menacing opponent this time around.
Sitting top of the Bundesliga with a nine-point cushion and unbeaten in 15 domestic games, this is a side that beat Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the group stages.
It is a well-organised defensive team with some sublime attacking talent. This Dortmund side will be more balanced, more in-sync and more difficult proposition than the one Tottenham faced last season.
There is no doubt – over two legs, Spurs can progress.
However, any suggestion that it will be anything other than a massive ask to make the quarter-finals is pure folly.