The Bundesliga was a war of attrition, a 34-game marathon that demanded consistency and endurance.
The UEFA Champions League, however, was different. It was a series of high-stakes, high-pressure sprints, a tournament of kings where a single moment of brilliance or a single lapse in concentration could define a season.
For Borussia Dortmund, the domestic title was the goal, but the Champions League was the dream, the ultimate validation of their status as one of Europe's elite.
As February wore on, the focus of the club, and indeed the entire continent, shifted to the resumption of this grand tournament. The Round of 16. The knockout stages. This was where legends were made and hearts were broken. Dortmund's opponent was Zenit St. Petersburg, the champions of Russia. It was a draw fraught with peril.
The journey to Russia was an ordeal in itself. A four-hour flight to a city that, in mid-February, was locked in the icy grip of winter.
