Southampton begin their Europa League campaign this Thursday as they welcome Sparta Prague to St. Mary's in their opening Group K fixture.
The game is the first for the club in the modern Europa League having qualified automatically thanks to their impressive 6th placed finish last season - the club's best ever in the Premier League. The Saints missed out on the competition in the previous season as they were knocked out in the final qualifying round by Danish side FC Midtjylland.
It is a historic night for the club, with Claude Puel's side having missed out on European competitions for over a decade - as well being relegated to the third division of English football and bouncing back to the top division in that time.
The fixture is a landmark which represents the remarkable turn-around of a club in near total collapse to one of England's biggest and best - much as they were in the days before the Premier League.
Can Southampton mark it with a win? We think so and here are five reasons why ...
A Night To Remember
No not the Shalamar song, but it will be a huge night for the club, its players and the supporters as Southampton return to Europe after over three decades away from major tournaments on the continent.
The current squad have a chance to become Southampton legends with a win - and if that isn't enough to get the players fired up, then not much else will.
Kick-Start the Season
It has been a relatively poor start to the Premier League season for Claude Puel and his men, having drawn two and lost two of their opening four fixtures - which sees them lie at a lowly 18th in the table.
The French manager now has a point to prove, and what better way to do it than with a first European victory in a major competition for three decades.
It could be the result to kick-start the Saint's season, so expect a performance to match that.
Prague's Route to Europe
While the Czech side have a fairly formidable record in Europe having made the quarter-finals of the competition last season, their route to Group K wasn't such a simple ride this time out.
Danish side SonderjyskE Fodbold first held Sparta to a goalless draw in the first leg of their qualifying fixture, then remarkably went 2-0 in the return fixture.
Sparta were able to turn it around to win 3-2, but it wasn't convincing and Southampton will know that coming into this fixture.
Summer Additions
Southampton have recruited wisely again this summer, including a number of players who are familiar with playing on the European stage, which can only work to their advantage.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg has played in the Champion's League with Bayern Munich; Ryan Bertrand has of course experienced Europe (albeit briefly) with Chelsea, and believe it or not Nathan Redmond has also played five games and scored one goal in the Europa League with Norwich.
Fixture List
Sparta Prague's visit to Southampton is their first of four games in the space of 10 fixture-packed days - with the Czech side having two league games and a cup fixture shortly after their trip to England.
With such a busy fixture list, it could be that Sparta are wary of injuries and fitness and could give some players a chance to rest ahead of their priority league games.