Tuesday's Champions League matchup between PSV Eindhoven and Sporting Lisbon at the Philips Stadion pits the winners of Portugal and Holland against each other.
Although both teams had triumphed in all seven of their domestic openers, their results on the first matchday of this competition were different.
Two weeks ago, PSV lost 3-1 on the road to Juventus, their first European match of the season without a victory for the sixth consecutive year. Peter Bosz's team was utterly outmatched in that match.
Though they lost on the first day, the hosts can still feel optimistic because they have advanced in three of the last four years, and they are now playing a team that they defeated 3-2 here in the Europa League group stages five years ago.
PSV will be relieved that this match is being played at home because they lost 4-0 in the corresponding matchup during that campaign and have not lost at home to a Portuguese team in the twenty-first century.
PSV has won all of its home games over the last two seasons on the continent, making the Philips Stadion a veritable fortress. However, when it comes to domestic play, Bosz's team always seems dominant.
PSV's 100% Eredivisie start was maintained over the weekend with a 2-0 victory away to Willem II. They currently lead the league with seven victories out of seven.
However, Ruben Amorim's Sporting team has won eight out of eight games, including a victory over Lille on the opening day of play.
After Viktor Gyokeres opened his Champions League account, Zeno Debast beat Les Dogues with the goal of the round to win the match in the second half.
Sporting has had an almost flawless start, scoring 27 goals and allowing just two goals while maintaining a clean sheet in their last six games.
Sporting has won all three of its league games 3-0 since returning from the international break in mid-September, including a triumph against Estoril on the road last weekend.
With nine points expected to finish in the top 24 of the league phase, it will give them a great deal of confidence in sealing their entrance into the competition's knockout phase.
After winning their first two away games against PSV and then at Sturm Graz, Sporting will play two more back-to-back away games at the Jose Alvalade in November against two considerably tougher opponents on paper: Manchester City and Arsenal.
