Liverpool have their history, lineage, the experience of last year, and top quality players grimly determined not to repeat that experience.
Spurs have euphoria, literally living the dream, and have shown themselves capable of using that to put almost any other team to the sword.
Makes for a very evenly balanced and exciting contest.
City have no European pedigree. Ajax have a legacy of successful European competition, but nothing of note trophy wise for a generation. Spurs dispatched both with guts and determination, but now they'll be coming up against the real deal. Not a Barcelona or Real Madrid in a group stage. But a Liverpool side that is lean and hungry, with a European legacy that is very much alive and well and continues to be built on.
Spurs haven't seen Liverpool in its guise as European Royalty. They haven't seen how our fans can take over an entire stadium, to the point where it just looks like we moved Anfield for the day.
Will they wilt, or will they rise to the challenge? They've got nothing to lose and will play their hearts out. But there's no second leg and there's no away goals. There's no week long "half time" breather to take stock, analyse and wait for players to come back from knocks. They have to do the business in 90/120 minutes. And so do we.
I think the rest will do them more harm than good. This will be in their minds for the next three weeks, as it will be in ours - but we've been here before. Our third final in the past four years. With a stronger team than ever before and one that has proven it can survive without its talismen.
Spurs may dive, but they don't set out to deliberately take players out of the game. They'll be coming to play and do everything they know how to do to the best of their abilities. As shall we.
It's gonna be interesting either way.
