Not that Manchester City could do anything about it, but their Champions League draw can be classed as an emphatic success.
City did their part by booking their place in the last-16 as group winners, theoretically earning an 'easier' draw in the first knockout round. To play the second leg at home should be an advantage, however the looming presence of Paris Saint-Germain as potential opponents added an element of jeopardy to the draw.
Had City been pitted against Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, their Champions League hopes would have been given a huge hurdle to overcome at the first knockout attempt. Of course, to win the European Cup you must beat the best sides, but a City-PSG last-16 clash would have been a meeting between the top two favourites for the whole tournament three stages before the final.
So for City to get RB Leipzig - a team they beat comfortably at home last season in the group stage, and who sit sixth in the Bundesliga - is one of the better ties they could have been given. Leipzig won't be easy to beat, as proven by their victory over City in the dead-rubber group game last season, and Pep Guardiola will insist that the only focus is on beating the Germans to reach the quarter-finals.
If Guardiola allowed himself a wider look at the last-16 draw, though, he may allow himself a sigh of relief as four of City's main rivals for their first Champions League have been pitted against each other. As Guardiola has let slip regarding the Premier League this season, he is always on top of the other fixtures that could benefit City when rivals play each other.
To see Liverpool draw Real Madrid in a repeat of last season's final means that one of City's recent bogey sides will not be in the quarter-final draw. Liverpool knocked City out of the Champions League in 2018, and are the only side to beat them so far this season. Real Madrid, meanwhile, launched a stunning comeback at the Bernabeu last season in the semi-finals to dump City out as they went on to win the trophy against Liverpool in Paris.
And then there's another repeat of a recent final, as Baryen Munich face Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern had a 100 per cent record in their group, while PSG were denied top spot in their group on away goals scored after identical head-to-head and goal difference records with Benfica.
City beat PSG to reach the 2021 final, but were beaten in Paris in last year's group stage. The front three of Messi-Mbappe-Neymar has been in fine form this season, and are widely tipped for a long run in this season's competition. To face the formidable Bayern - who would pose a significant threat to City at any stage of the Champions League - means one of the favourites will also exit at the last-16 stage.
To go into a last-eight draw knowing one of Liverpool and Real Madrid won't be in it, and neither will one of PSG and Bayern, is a big boost for City's hopes going forward. It doesn't mean City couldn't draw one of those sides in the quarter-finals, but the rest of the draw also means the chances of a bigger club are reduced.
Club Brugge and Benfica face each other, Eintracht Frankfurt and Napoli are drawn together, and Inter face PC Porto. None of those sides would be easy, but would undoubtedly be preferable to the likes of Real or Bayern or PSG.
Even Tottenham, who have caused City plenty of problems in England and Europe in recent times, have a tricky test against AC Milan, yet City would be confident of beating both. And having taken four points off Dortmund this season, if they were to progress against Chelsea, City would consider themselves favourites, too. Yet with those two sides, the chances of Spurs and Chelsea reaching the quarters aren't guaranteed, and the Blues would prefer a European opponent rather than a domestic one.
As ever, City are capable of beating themselves in the Champions League, and nothing is ever guaranteed. With Monday's draw, however, they have a good chance of progressing further and if they do, the task from then on has been made slightly easier with two big rivals for the Champions League title guaranteed to be knocked out.
With few opportunities for a week off between fixtures after the World Cup, City will need help from wherever they can find it if they are to challenge on four fronts into the new year. The Champions League draw might have provided that.