Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a big night in Gdansk as he chases a first piece of silverware in his Manchester United tenure.
Having fallen at the semi-final stage in the Europa League last season, the Norwegian now has the chance to add the same trophy to the club's trophy cabinet.
After several near misses in cup competitions, it would be a significant achievement for the United boss, who has weathered tremendous pressure during his two-and-a-half year stint in charge at Old Trafford thus far.
United's second place finish in the Premier League has indicated tangible signs of progression under his leadership, but even Solskjaer knows just what is riding on the clash in the PGE Arena.
"You can define the season after tomorrow," he said. "So far we've improved but we'll only all go home happy if we win."
Solskjaer's assessment is a fair reflection of where United are currently at.
They deserve credit for providing the closest, if not particularly threatening, challenge to rivals Man City domestically.
However, failure to come away from Poland with the trophy in hand would be another dent in United's confidence and ultimately cast this season in a negative light.
Landing a trophy at this stage would be a huge obstacle his side need to overcome in their evolution, with Solskjaer himself even suggesting the final could be a "stepping stone".
He added: "I think players, when they get the taste of success, when they win trophies, win something, it can go two ways; we've done it now and we can relax or, as I've had a few times, it just gives you more of that feeling.
"You want more, you want it all the time, you want the feeling again with your teammates, with your club.
"This group of players has been working hard for a year, a year-and-a-half, together and it's the next step for them now to go and enjoy a game like this."
Few could argue with Solskjaer's view, but this is a dramatic turnaround from his comments back in March, where he expressed his belief that trophies did not have an impact on a team's development.
“The cups are sometimes an ego thing for managers and clubs," he said at the time. "It’s not like a trophy will say ‘we are back’, no. It’s gradual progression at the top of the league.
"Sometimes the cup competitions can hide your progress a bit.
"We’re all aiming to win trophies at this club, but sometimes the trophy can hide other things that are happening at the club.
“It’s in the league positions that you see whether you’re progressing, really. The cups you can be lucky or unlucky."
Solskjaer will be hoping it is the former, rather than the latter, when he tests his wits against the master in this competition Unai Emery.
And the United boss is keeping faith that this trophy can serve as less of an 'ego thing' and more as a catalyst for what's next to come.
"It’s a bright future, this team is a young team, it’s a team we’ve rebuilt over the last few years. Hopefully, this is the start of something more."
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