Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen go into their Champions League opener with contrasting form and contrasting objectives on Tuesday night.
The French side, who finished runners-up in 2004, have faltered under new boss Leonardo Jardim, and after last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Lyon, they lie 19th place in Ligue 1, after finishing 2nd place last season.
Leverkusen are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Finishing as runners-up themselves in 2001, they currently lie top of the Bundesliga on 7 points, even after a disappointing 3-3 drew with Werder Bremen last Friday evening.
The high profile departures of Colombian duo James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao have angered fans of Les Rouge et Blancs, with some going as far to demand refunds on their season tickets. Owner Dmytri Rybolovlev, who lost between £1-3 billion in a divorce settlement, has not provided the necessary capital in this season's window, and as a result, Monaco go into this game as underdogs.
Bayer Leverkusen may have lost the likes of Emre Can and Sidney Sam in the transfer window, but replacing them with the likes of Hakan Calhanoglu, Tin Jedvaj (loan) and Kyriakos Papadopoulos (loan) has proven to be a winning formula for popular new boss Roger Schmidt. A rejuvenated Karim Bellarabi has also been key to Leverkusen's rapid start, with the winger who spent last season on loan at Eintracht Braunschweig a constant thorn in his opposition's side.
Monaco didn't have to compete in a qualifying round, but Leverkusen did, swiping FC Kobenhavn by an aggregate scoreline of 7-2.
Both camps were optimistic ahead of the game. Said Monaco's Jeremy Toulalon:
"Not being worried is going to be one of our strengths in the Champions League. That's going to give us some freshness. It's definitely a great experience for the younger players. We want to go as far as we can as that can give us confidence."
Leonardo Jardim, Monaco coach:
"The UEFA Champions League is a different competition. We want different results. This is the first time some of our players [have played in the group stage] so we want the best possible result. The experienced players will help the youngest ones."
"The UEFA Champions League is a very important competition – a lot is at stake. And usually results hinge on small details. Leverkusen are strong and very quick on the break. We will have to be careful from set pieces. We will have to raise our game and be efficient up front. The youth of our team is not an issue. We need to find a bridge between the current situation and the future that is in front of us – which is very promising."
Leverkusen's Roger Schmidt:
"If we can get a win there, it would be extremely valuable. Monaco may have made a bad start to the season but I expect that, given the quality they have got, they play differently in the Champions League. We've just got to believe in ourselves."
Focus will certainly be on the sublime Dimitar Berbatov, with the Monaco attacker facing his former club. Schmidt praised the Bulgarian's time at the club, during which he scored 68 goals in 154 Bundesliga appearances:
"Dimitar Berbatov is a great player who had a great career at Leverkusen. He is clinical in front of goal so we will have to be careful. He had a great time with Leverkusen and brought a lot to the club. I have always liked him."
Possible lineups
Monaco: Subašić; Fabinho, Raggi, Carvalho, Kurzawa; Moutinho, Toulalan, Kondogbia; Ferreira-Carrasco, Berbatov, Ocampos.
• Out: Abdennour (thigh)
Leverkusen: Leno; Jedvaj, Toprak, Spahić, Boenisch; Castro, Bender; Bellarabi, Çalhanoğlu, Son; Kiessling.
• Out: Papadopoulos (shoulder), Rolfes (ankle), Brandt (ankle)
Prediction: AS Monaco 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen