And if they are up for the fight, make no mistake about it, I wouldn’t say this could be the night they turn their season around, I’d say it WILL be.
Juventus away in the Champions League . . . games don’t come much tougher than facing the team many fancy to be lifting the trophy on June 1 next year.
But if you can come out of it with a result or, at least a performance to be proud of, then it really is one which can transform your entire campaign.
Obviously, that’s far easier said than done. You only have to look at what Juventus did at Old Trafford a fortnight ago to see that.
That was a 1-0 hammering. Men against boys. A team full of confidence against a team seriously lacking it.
It was a game so typical of many of United’s performances this season, when there has been a real problem with their intensity levels early on.
And if they suffer the same problem in Turin tonight, don’t let’s beat about the bush here, the game will be out of sight before they know it.
Start like they did against Newcastle, like they did against Bournemouth and they could get a real hiding, there’s no question.
That’s why it is so important they are prepared to fight — I don’t mean literally, by the way — but to give everything to stay in the game.
It is a night the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Roy Keane, Mark Hughes, all those great players of the past used to relish.
Now the time has come for the ones currently pulling on the red shirt to puff out their chests, roll up their sleeves and put their bodies on the line.
Juve will have more of the ball, we know that. Just like we know how Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa can slice you open in a second.
So I’m not suggesting United go hell for leather at them, throwing caution to the wind. I’m saying they have to stay in control, stay in the game and stay focused.
We know, from Jose Mourinho’s own comments, that he isn’t telling them to start games slowly, he doesn’t want them to constantly have to come from behind.
It’s as though there has been a fear in the players, especially playing at Old Trafford, and you’d hope there may be a bit more freedom about them in Turin.
Maybe not having the pressure of being favourites, of being at home with the expectation of taking the game to opponents, will see them express themselves a little more.
Let’s hope so, anyway, because they do have the talent in the team. There were green shoots in Alexis Sanchez’s performance at the weekend and Anthony Martial is red-hot right now.
We know what Paul Pogba is capable of and Marcus Rashford has the pace to cause anyone problems.
It is a massive ask and far, far tougher than coming from behind to beat the likes of a Newcastle team which hadn’t won a game at that point.
But it isn’t beyond them and believe me — get something out of tonight’s game and it will be worth far more than a point or three in the long run.
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