Nottingham Forest travel to Braga’s Estadio Municipal on Thursday knowing that victory will go a long way to boosting their bid for automatic qualification to the last 16 of the Europa League.
With two games left in the league stage, Forest’s goals are clear and there is no room for caution.
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They arrived in Portugal just outside automatic qualification, aware that wins over Sporting Braga and Ferencvaros might eliminate the need for the play-offs.
On the face of it, Forest’s domestic performances offer limited encouragement.
They have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions and remain locked in a relegation battle in the Premier League.
However, recent performances suggest the team is showing more resilience than the raw numbers suggest.
Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to Premier League leaders Arsenal provided tangible evidence of the renewal of the team’s organization and belief.
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Forest limited Arsenal’s clear chances and were defensively disciplined, with manager Sean Dyche viewing his performance as a platform rather than a missed opportunity.
The results follow a pattern more evident in Europe.
Forest have looked increasingly confident in the Europa League since Dyche took charge, picking up 11 points from six games and conceding just once in four games.
Consecutive wins over Malmo and Utrecht before the winter break put them firmly in contention for the top eight.
Their previous success against their Portuguese opponents this season will also give them confidence.
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Forest beat Porto 2-0 at the City Stadium in October, a result that highlighted their ability to cope with high-pressure competition in Europe.
The win remains one of their finest moments of the season and provides reassurance ahead of another tough away assignment.
Braga, however, represents an entirely different challenge.
The Portuguese team ranks seventh in the league stage and currently occupies one of the automatic qualifications.
They have won four of their six games and come with the drive to ensure progress without further complications.
Despite recent setbacks at home, Braga have made life difficult in European competition at the Braga Municipal Stadium.
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Their last Europa League match was an away win against OGC Nice, which enhanced their efficiency in intense matches.
Forest were unable to approach the game with an all-out effort.
Dropping points will put extra pressure on their final group game and threaten to undo much of their previous progress.
The situation brought clarity rather than comfort to the forest.
They may be at a disadvantage away from home, but their recent European performances and the determination they showed against Arsenal suggest they have reason to believe.
For Forest, this is a chance to make Europe’s return truly meaningful.
It requires them to deliver their best performance of the campaign so far.