Manchester United have two targets to aim for against FC Copenhagen

Time to convince

Average would be a good work to describe Manchester United's season so far. Played 12, won six, lost six. It's middle of the road and the performances scream the same as well.

All six of those victories have been by a single goal and there hasn't yet been a performance this season that you would say is the gold standard. They haven't yet reached a bronze standard.

If anything, some of their best spells in games have come in defeat. The first half at Tottenham, the first three-quarters of the game against Galatasaray. Successive wins against Brentford and Sheffield United have boosted confidence and given United some momentum, but now they now need to add substance to those victories.

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This would be an opportune moment to do that. FC Copenhagen aren't this group's whipping boys but United are clearly better than them. They need to get their Champions League campaign back on track and this is the perfect moment to do that.

Win or bust

Anything but a win here will probably be curtains for United's hopes of staying in the Champions League beyond the group stages. Even if they beat FC Copenhagen home and away in this double-header and Bayern Munich do the same to Galatasaray, United will head to Istanbul only two points ahead of the Turkish giants.

So even if a best-case scenario would have Erik ten Hag's side under pressure heading into the final two group games, which means maximum points from Old Trafford and the Parken Stadium in the next two weeks is absolutely essential.

Having worked so hard to return to the competition, it would be disastrous if United were back in the Europa League in the New