The last time Brentford and Blackburn Rovers met back in 1996, the two clubs were separated by three divisions.
Blackburn were a Premier League side who had lifted the top flight title only 16 months before, while Brentfod had just survived a Division Two (third tier) relegation scrap.
Alan Shearer may have been long gone, but Blackburn could still call on the talents on Chris Sutton, Tim Sherwood, Garry Flitcroft, Kevin Gallagher, Lars Bohinen, Henning Berg, Colin Hendry, Chris Coleman and Tim Flowers.
David Webb's Brentford were also a different prospect from the previous season's struggle, however, and the famous front four of Robert Taylor, Nicky Forster, Carl Asaba and Marcus Bent was just starting to take shape.
Sadly, they were no match for Blzckburn over two legs, however. Two goals in three second half minutes in the first leg at Griffin Park, from Flitcroft and Sutton, put Rovers in charge of the tie, although Forster gave the Bees hope when he pulled one back on the stroke of half time.
Blackburn took control in the second leg too, with goals either side of the break from Gallagher and Sherwood earning a 2-0 win on the night and a 4-1 win on aggregate for Ray Harford's men.
It was the third time the two teams had been paired together in the Lesgue Cup, with Brentford winning 3-2 on aggregate on 1982 and Blackburn winning 6-5 on aggregate in 1988.
However, four months after that 1988 tie, Brentford had their revenge when they travelled to Ewood Park for an FA Cup fifth round tie, which they won 2-0 to set up a quarter-final against Liverpool at Anfield, where the battling Bees went down 4-0.
In total, the two teams have met 27 times over the years, with Blackburn winning 14 and Brentford 10, and three finishing all square.
Keep up to date with all the build-up, matchday and post-game reaction to Brentford v Blackburn right here on GetWestLondon
