Friday's Europa League group stage draw conjured up some interesting ties for Liverpool FC.
Aside from a gruelling long-haul journey to Kazan, a 4,100-mile round trip, the draw was rather generous to Brendan Rodgers' side - who also face trips to FC Sion and FC Girondins de Bordeaux.
And whilst no teams should be underestimated in European competition, with Ludogorets Razgrad a fine example from last season - with the Reds unconvincingly beating them at home thanks to a last-minute penalty and drawing 2-2 in Bulgaria, the Reds should realistically be targeting to finish top.
This, after all, is one of the easier groups which Liverpool could have been handed - with Rubin Kazan, despite the distance, of considerably less quality than some of their Pot 1 counterparts such as Marseille, Borussia Dortmund or Napoli.
Kazan finished 19 points behind the Russian champions in fifth place and only qualified for the competition through the fact that FC Dynamo Moscow were banned by UEFA for failing to comply with the rules of Financial Fair Play.
Swiss Super League outfit Sion qualified through similar circumstances, winning the Swiss Cup despite finishing a lowly seventh in the league - 33 points off of FC Basel in 1st.
Bordeaux could only muster sixth-placed finish in Ligue 1, trailing winners Paris Saint Germain by 20 points.
None of these sides, clearly, are world-beaters - and whilst Liverpool aren't the powerhouse they once were either, they certainly have enough quality to get past their group opponents - none of whom have started their domestic campaigns particularly well.
Draw in Monaco sees Liverpool paired with draw reminiscent of last group stage opponents
The Reds will be thankful that they were also fortunate to avoid other lengthy flights, as they dodged trips to Eastern countries such as Azerbaijan or potential banana skins ties in Belarus, Albania or Serbia from the third and fourth pots.
Instead, it presents Rodgers with the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities of managing in Europe, something he has been accused unable of doing so far throughout his Anfield tenure.
He guided them through the group stages in his first year in charge, finishing top via goal difference in a group which engrossed more miles than this season's journeys, and also with a significantly weaker side on the whole.
But after they were greeted with a testing trip to Zenit St. Petersburg in the Last 32, they struggled to settle in the hostile atmosphere of Russia - losing 2-0 in the first leg before narrowly missing out on progression from the second leg, conceding a vital away goal despite a 3-1 win.
The next season saw Liverpool miss out on Europe entirely, but they were to return to the glory days in 2014-15. After a five-year absence, the Reds flirted with the Champions League again, albeit briefly and forgettably.
A narrow home win over Bulgarian minnows Ludogorets was all they had to cheer, as they lost twice against Real Madrid without scoring a single goal, threw away victory in Razgrad and failed to find a way past Basel either home or away.
It was a distinctly disappointing return to the Europe's biggest stage, whilst the drop to the Europa League was not much kinder - though Liverpool gave themselves a good platform to win with a first leg win at home to Besiktas.
However, travelling to the infamous scene of that night in Istanbul, Liverpool's heroics were a little bit flatter on their second visit to the Ataturk Stadium - losing on penalties at the very end they celebrated one of the club's greatest ever nights 10 years earlier.
That, too, was not exactly with the weakest side. Liverpool fielded a number of regulars, including Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge to name but a few.
Having never progressed past the first knockout round of Europe in three separate attempts, Rodgers has work to do to prove he's capable of leading the club back to the glory of those famed European nights under the Anfield lights.
And he will surely have let out a slight cheer after the draw was conducted, because this Group B is easier than the Group B of last year's Champions League, and the Group A of the 2012-13 Europa League.
It encompasses middle-of-the-road opponents whom Liverpool should not be significantly tested by, even though their form on their travels to Russia is less than appealing - losing three of five.
Furthermore, the fact they've won all four of their meetings with their other two opponents - Sion and Bordeaux, scoring 12 goals and conceding four, back when both sides were more dangerous, further drums home that Liverpool could have had a much tougher draw.
Rodgers needs to convince he's capable of managing in European competitions
But whilst the competition is a welcome return to the nooks and crannies of European countries for the faithful Liverpool supporters, it serves as a way for Rodgers to vindicate his past performances too.
His biggest task this year, understandably, is to finish in the top-four of the league and qualify for the Champions League - for the glitz and glamour the competition brings and also the major financial boost and power it gives them.
But a club the stature of Liverpool, with such an illustrious history, aspires not just to be back in the Champions League on a consistent basis - but to genuinely challenge when they do so.
Last year, clearly, they didn't come close to challenging - quite the opposite in fact - whilst they have failed miserably in trips to both Turkey and Russia in the Europa League too, leaving question marks over whether Rodgers is the right man to lead them across the continents.
He has done himself the world of good with three good results at the start of the Premier League season, which he must back up with a win over West Ham United on Saturday, but he also needs to show signs of life in Europe.
Whether his approach is to take it less seriously in the group stages, instead using it as a means to introduce the younger members of his squad into the starting eleven, or whether he sees it as a realistic opportunity to win silverware at the club and fields stronger teams - is entirely up to him.
Whichever route he chooses to tackle the Europa League, he needs to ensure his team approach the competition knowing that the club's supporters want to see an indication of progress - starting at Bordeaux in three weeks.
Even if he fields weakened teams, finishing top and steering clear of any tricky Last 32 ties against the winners of other groups will be the minimum expectation.