When Swansea City defeated Bradford City in the Capital One Cup final in February to qualify for the Europa League, the club's supporters immediately began to dream about potential opponents that would complete their fairytale rise over the past decade.
The Welsh outfit had only avoided relegation to the Conference in 2003, but 10 years later, the club were preparing to enter a European draw with some of the most notable teams on the continent.
Their seeding ensured that they would be paired with a memorable trip and the opportunity to test themselves against one of the favourites for the competition, but there was a name that stood out that would really capture the imagination of everyone at the Liberty Stadium - Valencia.
In the same year that Swansea were deeming a mid-table finish in the old Division Three a success, Valencia were winning La Liga for the second time in three seasons and also beating Marseille to lift the UEFA Cup. At the time, it seemed unimaginable, even impossible, that the two would ever meet in a competitive fixture.
But tonight, the two sides will lock horns in front of a vibrant Mestalla crowd, and while Valencia are expected to seal three points, the gulf in class has shortened to such an extent that it wouldn't be considered the biggest of surprises should Swansea leave Spain with a result.
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Manager Michael Laudrup has continued the job of his predecessor Brendan Rodgers to develop a style of football at Swansea that suits the European style, and despite their underdog status, the Swans will look to dominate possession against their more illustrious opponents.
It's that kind of mentality that could be enough to ruffle Valencia and their expectant fans because they won't be prepared for a so-called small club from Wales to arrive at their home and display the kind of composure on the ball that many of their La Liga rivals do.
Despite heading into the unknown, Laudrup's men won't possess any fear in competing with the likes of Jonas, Ever Banega and Helder Postiga because it's not a step-up in the quality that they face in the Premier League, and one thing that Swansea have displayed over the past two seasons is that they have faith in their own system.
Valencia deservedly hold the reputation of one of the biggest clubs in European football and one of the favourites of this competition, but when you break down each lineup, they are evenly matched, and in some cases, Swansea have the advantage.
On-loan Chelsea player Oriel Romeu featured in midfield for Valencia during their defeat to Real Betis at the weekend, but if he is given the job of marking Michu this evening, wouldn't the majority be expecting Swansea's star man to win their individual battle?
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Tussles like that could be key to determining who will prevail because it's a possibility that each side could cancel each other out if they aren't prepared to mix up their usual passing game. But if Michu can get the better of Romeu with the physical side of his game, then that might just prove to be the difference.
Valencia have had a tough time of it on the domestic front, conceding eight goals in their last three matches, and those kind of stats are only going to encourage Swansea to get Michu on the ball; if he and Wilfried Bony can combine to their full potential, then who knows?
With Kuban Krasnodar and St Gallen also in the group, tonight's fixture isn't going to decide who progress in the competition and who don't, but it could go a long way in deciding Swansea's standing in the eyes of the other two clubs.
Their qualification will likely depend on how they perform in Russia and Switzerland, but after failing to win away from home in either of their two playoff matches, Swansea don't want to be giving either teams any encouragement when they travel to their respective grounds in the next couple of months.
Despite their emergence over the past 12 months, Swansea are still considered as minnows on the European stage, but if they can play to their strengths and leave Valencia with a result, then that could set them up for yet another fairytale run in the eventful history of the Welsh football club.
Darren Plant
