BRUGES: Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says he faces the biggest game yet of his Old Trafford tenure in Wednesday's Champions League play-off round second leg away to Club Brugge.
United lead 3-1 from last week's first leg, but having been hired specifically to restore the club to a place among the European elite, Van Gaal knows how damaging failure at the Jan Breydel Stadium would be.
Marouane Fellaini's added-time header at Old Trafford gives United a very welcome two-goal advantage, but with Club Brugge having already overturned a 2-1 deficit against Panathinaikos in the third qualifying round, the manager has warned his players to be on their mettle.
Asked if the game was the most important of his 13-month United reign, Van Gaal replied: "Yes, because it's our aim.
"It was last year our aim to participate in the Champions League and we're still not participating. It's the preliminary round, so it's very important.
"You have to play the game and at the end you have to have scored one more goal than the opponent.
"They have won also against Greek opponents with 3-0, so they are capable to do that and with the support of the fans, we have seen the fans in Manchester, so I think they shall support them a lot."
While United have struggled for goals in the Premier League, scoring only two in their three games to date, they sparkled against Club Brugge, with Memphis Depay scoring his first two goals in the club's colours and setting up Fellaini's important late header.
However, Depay could not replicate that display in last weekend's 0-0 draw with Newcastle United, prompting Van Gaal to remark drily that his performance against Club Brugge may have given the 21-year-old "too much" confidence.
Depay is nonetheless expected to keep his place in the team, while Van Gaal must decide whether to keep faith with Bastian Schweinsteiger, who made his full debut against Newcastle but faded badly.
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