Those at Atletico Madrid lamented finishing second in their Champions League group, which came after a draw away at Club Brugge, and their worst fears were realised when they were paired with Juventus in the round of 16 draw.
Both sides have been the perennial almost teams when it's come to coming up short on the biggest stage, with Juventus losing the most Champions League finals with seven, winning two, while Atletico are the only team to have finished as runners-up without lifting the trophy once. That is history, though, and the Bianconeri's addition of Cristiano Ronaldo - a five-time Champions League winner - made them a very scary threat for Diego Simeone's side.
Despite that, on February 20, Simeone led his orchestra in what has been the Wanda Metropolitano's best atmosphere to date as Atletico ran out 2-0 victors. It was a vintage performance by Atletico as they outfought Juventus and, poignantly, both goals were scored by their centre-backs: Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez.
Juventus are hanging on in the tie by the skin of their teeth and they will require some divine help, coupled with some brilliance from Ronaldo, in order to advance to the quarter-finals. One element has already gone the way of La Vecchia Signora is Atletico's frustration at the appointment of the Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers for the clash, the official for the 2014 Champions League final that Atletico lost to Real Madrid in Lisbon.
The dream is still alive for Atletico: playing the Champions League final in their own stadium on June 1, the Wanda Metropolitano. First, they must enter the kingdom of Cristiano Ronaldo, the winner of the last three Champions Leagues. If anybody can end his reign, it is Simeone's Atletico.
At least, the fight that Atletico showed in the first leg three weeks ago would make you think that. They surprised the world by crushing Juventus, but it is important to remember that this is only half-time in the tie. The second half will be played on Tuesday night and, as we all know, a lot can happen in football. Juventus and Ronaldo, in his debut season in Turin, will be determined to turn things around, but Atletico will be ready to fight a battle. A battle for Cristiano's kingdom.