The last time Barcelona went into a first leg of the knockout stage of the Champions League, they had their stuffing knocked out by AC Milan, before an absolute masterclass in the second leg took them into the quarterfinals.
Come Tuesday, all eyes will again be on Barca and what position they will find themselves in after 90 minutes in Paris against Paris Saint Germain.
Knowing Barcelona, it will be a more assured performance, one that will ensure they do not have to play for their lives in the second leg at the more comfortable confines of the Camp Nou.
There are several sub-plots of course which make this quarterfinal tie more interesting. The first, will be the possible return to the dugout of Tito Vilanova, who has been missing for the last few months due to cancer treatment in New York.
Vilanova took his first training session for a long time just prior to Barca's weekend trip to Celta Vigo. The Barcelona manager did not travel with the team owing to doctor's advice, but is expected to feature in the first leg in Paris.
Left-back Eric Abidal is also back in the squad, after recovering from a liver transplant, which he underwent nearly a year ago on April 10, 2012.
Milan posed a much bigger threat than expected, even if they were torn apart by Barca in the second leg. If anything, this PSG side have a more experienced and well rounded squad than the young Milan side.
In Zlatan Ibrahimovic you have one of the best strikers in the world, and the Swede will be desperate to prove a point or two against his former side. With Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, PSG have a coach of tremendous repute and one capable of garnering the right results.
PSG have a solid defense, with Thiago Silva leading the back four, while their midfield and forward line are capable of breaking down any side.
The French champions-elect of course will not have too much of the ball, but at the end of the day, the pace of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Lucas Moura, combined with the vision and finishing prowess of Ibrahimovic could prove crucial. PSG, in fact are the third highest goalscorers in the competition with 17, two more than Barca this season.
"It's the best competition in the world, a pleasure and a dream to play in. I want to win it," Moura told UEFA's official website.
"We have an opportunity now. We have a great team, a very capable team with great players, so we have everything to get further and we will prepare for it."
The Spanish side received a huge boost after Xavi Hernandez and Jordi Alba were passed fit. The duo missed the 2-2 draw against Celta at the weekend, but came through a training session on Sunday without any worries. Pedro Rodriguez, though, still hasn't recovered and will not make the trip to Paris, along with skipper Carles Puyol and Adriano.
The onus will again be on Messi, though, who has been criticized recently for going missing in the big games - read the two El Clasico's and the first leg against Milan. The little Argentine showed his class, however, by inspiring Barca to victory in the second leg against Milan, scoring two simply sumptuous goals.
If Messi fires, even the brilliance of Ibrahimovic will be overshadowed. An intriguing and entertaining first leg awaits.
Expected lineups: PSG: Sirigu; Van Der Wiel, Thiago, Alex, Maxwell; Verratti, Matuidi; Lucas, Pastore, Lavezzi; Ibrahimovic.
Barcelona: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Villa, Messi, Tello.
Prediction: 2-1 to Barcelona
