It is the week when Manchester City and Chelsea begin their journeys into the tournament which will tell them where they really stand with the galaxies of talent they have assembled.
And though Chelsea enjoy a gentle start to the new-look Champions League, against first-time entrants Benfica, Manchester City’s match in Gothenburg on Wednesday is about as tough as it could be in the round of 32.
The jeopardy of continental elimination arrives immediately. The group stages have been replaced with two-leg knockouts. But City will take new global stars Sam Mewis, Rose Lavelle and Lucy Bronze into the fray, and no longer do Lyon, recently beaten by PSG, look quite so untouchable.