Manchester United fullback Rafael admits the Champions League has offered some relief to their struggling campaign so far.
United meet Real Sociedad tonight.
"We have done well [so far]," Rafael told United Review. "We were pleased with our performance against Bayer Leverkusen and then it was important to come away from Donetsk with a good result. We managed to do that. We have played some good football in the competition so far and we want to keep that going."
The meeting with La Real provides an opportunity to notch three vital points toward qualification for the knockout stages.
"It is a great chance for us," adds Rafa. "We need to win the game to give us confidence for the match in Spain. That's all we're focused on.
"They will come here to win. Spanish teams aren't the type to sit back and defend. They will always attack. They were close to getting a draw at Leverkusen [they lost 2-1 after an injury-time winner] and that will have given them encouragement."
