The manner in which Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League last season still lingers.
Bayern Munich absolutely mauled the former champions in the semifinals in the last edition, and that result will still be hurting pretty much every single Barca player in the dressing room.
It will be time for some redemption and to prove that they are still worthy of being called the best side in the world when they begin their champions League campaign against Ajax.
A few years back, this match would have been as big as any in Europe. However, with the standards in the Dutch league now nothing compared to 20 years ago, there will be one clear favourite - Barcelona, especially with the Spanish champions playing at home at the Camp Nou.
Given their perennial involvement in European competition it is more than a little surprising that these powerhouses of the game have never met in a competitive fixture, but all of that will change when the players step out at the Nou Camp.
Although strangers on the pitch, the links between the two clubs run deep, with some of Holland's biggest stars having graced Barca's ranks in years gone by.
Three-time world player of the year Johan Cruyff quit Ajax to join Barca in 1973 before going on to coach the Catalans to their first ever European Cup triumph at Wembley in 1992.
Cruyff was the first of 14 Ajax players to have signed for Barca down the years, although it is far from a one-way street with six players moving in the other direction, the most recent deal seeing Bojan Krkic move to the Amsterdam Arena on loan.
Many of Barca's former Dutch masters are expected to be at the match - although the most famous of them all will not be in evidence.
The outspoken Cruyff has a fractious relationship with the board of Barca, and told Dutch TV station RTL: "I will support Ajax. I have had some differences with Barca's president, and I will not set foot in the Camp Nou as long as he is there."
Boardroom upset is precisely what new Barca coach Gerardo Martino is hoping to avoid in his first season and the helm and will embark on his maiden Champions League campaign with a clear objective.
Barca have a rich history in this competition in recent years, winning in 2006, 2009 and 2011, and Martino - who has led his new charges to four wins from four at the start of the new La Liga campaign - knows expectations are sky high.
"There's always a prioritisation of the tournaments you're involved in. I feel that Barcelona have to win this competition," the Argentinian told a press conference today.
Barcelona: Valdes; Adriano, Mascherano, Pique, Alves; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Fabregas, Messi, Neymar.
Ajax: Vermeer; Van Rhijn, Moisander, Denswil, Boilesen; Schone, Duarte, Serero; Sana, Hoesen, Fischer.
"We're in three competitions and we have to reach the final stages of all three.
"When I took on the Barcelona job, I knew that if we didn't win a title this season it would be a failure.
"If I am here it's because I believe we can repeat the glorious moments of the club in recent seasons.
