Proving they are no laughing stock will be on Manchester United's to-do list in Munich on Wednesday when they take on Bayern.
To some at the club and the thousands of travelling fans, it will feel they have been battling the Bundesliga champions all summer despite not playing a professional game against each other since 2014.
The transfer window was the stage as the European rivals locked horns over the game's biggest names and it's a fight United lost.
They even tried to sign players from Bayern, but weren't successful as the German giants repeatedly jabbed and embarrassed their Premier League foes.
From Harry Kane to Leon Goretzka, Bayern kept winning the tug of war as issues over the proposed sale of United hampered the ability to plan ahead.
And it is seemingly being felt given the slow start to the season where the club have so far failed to build on the initial success of Erik ten Hag's first season.
It was hoped a couple of additions to key positions would help at least challenge for the title after winning the Carabao Cup and qualifying for the Champions League. Now, some of those misses could haunt them...
Harry Kane
One of the most talked about transfers of the summer was Tottenham’s all-time goalscorer Kane moving from Spurs to Bayern.
The England striker was snapped up for £86m by the German champions in mid-August — a Bayern and Bundesliga record fee — but Bayern were by no means the only club interested in signing Kane as he entered the final year of his Spurs deal.
Man United had been heavily linked with the striker, as they desperately searched for a no.9 following Cristiano Ronaldo’s January departure and Wout Weghorst’s loan coming to an end. However, Man United pulled out of the race having been priced out.
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