Leicester's 4-2 International Champions Cup defeat to Barcelona highlighted the step up they must make in the Champions League this season, but there were encouraging signs for the English champions.
The Foxes were 3-0 down at the break and with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Munir El Haddadi combining superbly, there was a real sense Leicester could be on course for a defeat heavier than their 4-0 loss last time out to Paris St Germain.
However, an energetic second-half performance - belying the fact Leicester had just flown in to Sweden from California - and smart brace from new signing Ahmed Musa restored pride before Barcelona wrapped up the win through Rafa Mujica.
On paper it was another International Champions Cup defeat for Leicester but Ranieri had insisted before the game the result was a distant secondary concern to his primary aim of preparing his team physically for their Premier League title defence and there were positives for the Italian to take away from Stockholm…
Musa makes his mark
Second-half sub Musa needed barely two minutes make an impact on the game, showing off his blistering pace with a superb breakaway goal to pull one back for the Foxes. He added a second 20 minutes later with a thunderous finish from close range.
There could have been a penalty, too, had the referee not waved away Leicester appeals when Javier Mascherano hauled Musa down. The Nigerian couldn't have dreamed of making a better impression against arguably the world's best club.
"He came on and he stretched the Barcelona defence, his pace was unbelievable," Valencia assistant manager Phil Neville told Sky Sports. "Mascherano and Jeremy Mathieu couldn't cope with him. He normally plays off the right hand side but tonight he played through the middle and caused Barcelona all sorts of problems."
The £16m signing from CSKA Moscow had compared himself to Jamie Vardy earlier this summer and he looks well suited to Ranieri's counter-attack focused tactics. His purchase looks like a shrewd move from the Foxes' recruitment team.
Vardy's fitness boost
After an extended break following his exertions at Euro 2016 with England and an operation on his wrist, Vardy made his first pre-season appearance on Wednesday and, while understandably not at his sharpest, his 45-minute run out was an important step on his road back to full fitness.
There were limited opportunities for the striker, given Barcelona's dominance of possession in the first half, but he did threaten on a couple of occasions when released with balls over the top and also headed over from a smart Ben Chilwell cross.
He'll get more game time at Wembley on Sunday, when he'll once again offer Leicester an outlet against Jose Mourinho's Manchester United. After Musa's second-half impact, it would be intriguing to see Vardy and the pacey Nigerian paired together at the weekend.
Strength in depth
While the game presented Vardy and Riyad Mahrez - also withdrawn at the break after rarely seeing the ball - the chance for a physical workout, for the seven half-time substitutes it was an opportunity to state their case for a starting spot in the Community Shield against Manchester United on Sunday and a place in Ranieri's plans for the Premier League opener with Hull City.
Musa certainly made his mark, but there were impressive showings from Nampalys Mendy, Shinji Okazaki and Jeffrey Schlupp, too. While Barcelona made their own changes, Leicester stepped up their level in the second half and showed Ranieri has options this term.
"The substitutions helped," said Neville. "Schlupp off the right hand side and Okazaki and Musa up front gave them a little bit more energy, they got closer to Barcelona and caused them problems. It will be difficult for them to retain the title but the signings they've made and the performances we've seen tonight, I think they'll be there or thereabouts again."
Chilwell shows his potential
Left-back Ben Chilwell had been linked with a move to Liverpool before signing a new five-year deal with Leicester last month, and his performance against Barcelona showed why the Foxes had been so keen to keep hold of the 19-year-old.
The England U21 international operated well in a Leicester defence which also contained Robert Huth, Wes Morgan and Danny Simpson - each regular members as Leicester won the Premier League - and held the line well as Ranieri's side repeatedly caught Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez offside in the first half.
There were only a few opportunities for Chilwell to show his attacking ability but he did hit an excellent cross on the run which Vardy may have done better with.
He'll reflect on how Suarez managed to bundle through his challenge for Barcelona's second, but Chilwell, who spent time on loan at Championship side Huddersfield last season, on this evidence, looks ready to be tested in the Premier League.