It feels like a lifetime since Nottingham Forest beat Porto in October.
Then, Sean Dyche swept in on a wave of nostalgia, promising togetherness after the fractured 39 days of Ange Postecoglou's reign.
His first game, the 2-0 win over Porto in the Europa League group phase, promised a brighter future, as did Premier League victories against Liverpool and Tottenham, but Dyche himself lasted just 114 days.
Now Vitor Pereira is tasked with toppling the Portuguese Primeira Liga leaders – with whom he won two titles in 2012 and 2013.
There was already a feeling of growing stability before the crucial 3-0 win at Tottenham in Forest’s final match before the international break and Pereira has the chance to add to the growing momentum at the Estadio do Dragao on Thursday.
It is Forest's first European quarter-final since their last Uefa Cup adventure in 1995-96 which ended with a 7-2 aggregate defeat by Bayern Munich.
Pereira has steered Forest through tricky knockout ties against Fenerbahce and Midtjylland but Porto, with just four defeats this season – the first coming against Forest – represent a different challenge.
"We're on a journey," said captain Ryan Yates. "We're dreaming, like we have done from the start of this competition.
"It's exciting. It's totally different to the Premier League. It just has such a different feel to it.
"We're dreaming that we're in the quarter-finals and we've played Porto already, we know how good they are. It's going to be difficult but it's exciting and we're looking forward to it."
