A 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt ensured Tottenham safely progressed into the Champions League round of 16.
Spurs' deserved triumph, which arrived against a manager-less and defensively pitiful opponent, saw them finish the league phase in fourth, above the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and holders Paris Saint-Germain.
The club's European campaign, much like last season, has offered supporters some respite amid yet another bleak domestic performance. Thomas Frank's side, having drawn at Burnley on Saturday, are 14th in the Premier League, with some fearing a scrap for survival ahead of a tough run of fixtures.
That's what made Wednesday's victory so important. Anything but three points, given how the games played out, would've resulted in two extra fixtures next month—on either side of the North London Derby, no less. Instead, Spurs can look down upon those competing in the playoffs, as we'll next see Frank's plucky Lilywhites in the round of 16.
And here are there four potential opponents.
Tottenham's potential Champions League round of 16 opponents
As Tottenham ascended to the lofty heights of fourth in the league phase table, they've been put in a pair with Liverpool, who finished third. That means we'll be on the other side of the draw to our Premier League rivals.
In UEFA's pre-determined bracket, the teams in the third and fourth pairing will face off against either 13th, 14th, 19th or 20th-place in the round of 16.
In Friday's playoff draw, Juventus (13th) and Atlético Madrid (14th) will meet either Club Brugge (19th) or Galatasaray (20th) with a spot in the last 16 at stake. The winners of those two ties will then be drawn against either Tottenham or Liverpool.
Spurs will thus take on an unfamiliar opponent in the round of 16, with their kind league phase schedule featuring none of those listed above. Juve are resurgent under Luciano Spalletti, Atlético Madrid have the heritage, Club Brugge are scoring goals for fun, while an away day in Istanbul isn't for the faint-hearted.
The possibilities aren't easy for this Tottenham team, despite their excellent start to the competition, but they've at least avoided the likes of PSG, Madrid and Inter. Frank should also have some players back from injury by the time the last 16 rolls around.
When is the Champions League round of 16?
Having qualified for the round of 16 automatically, the seeded Spurs will play the first leg away from home. As we're playing Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, 15 March, our Champions League campaign will likely resume on Wednesday, 18 March.
The following week, we'll host the second leg on what I'm predicting will be Tuesday, 24 March.