Though most Arsenal supporters will have groaned when they were almost inevitably drawn with Barcelona in the Champions League it is perhaps a good thing that they have the chance to face the Spanish side again so quickly.
The club took a while to recover from their 6-3 aggregate mauling at the hands of the Catalan club last season, with the press taking a particularly hard stance on Arsenal's desire to play the same way as the Spanish club, namely with the ball on the floor.
'Barcelona lite' was the name mockingly placed on the club's shoulders as Messi and co – arguably the best footballing side on the planet right now – tore though the Gunners defence almost at will.
That name stung Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, his players and the supporters so an early chance for revenge is perhaps exactly what they wanted.
And at half-time in this two-legged tie they have a great chance of achieving that and the football betting odds reflect this.
They were still out passed by Barcelona – most teams are – but they worked tremendously hard off the ball to ensure those wonderful, sweeping Barcelona moves didn't result in a killer pass and killer goal.
It didn't always work – Villa broke through and scored midway through the first half while Messi missed two sitters and had a goal controversially ruled out for offside – but fortune favours the brave and Arsenal still had to take advantage of those missed opportunities.
And the fact they did breaks through a mental barrier that has been reinforced with every passing day since their meeting last March.
This Barcelona side is beatable and not the Total Football behemoth some people would have you believe.
Getting a result at the Nou Camp will provide a greater challenge, but Arsenal can go there with far greater belief following this result.
And in a game that is won almost as much in the mind as it is with the foot, that could give them the vital edge when it matters.
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