After seeing his side beat Barcelona in an exciting game at Old Trafford on Thursday, Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag insisted his side could beat anyone as they were looking for their first major trophy since 2017.
Manchester United have played four games this season, winning 2-1 in the second leg of the Europa League playoffs and knocking out Spanish 4-3 on aggregate.
Winning against a team eight points ahead of Real Madrid in La Liga and playing with an intensity rarely seen at Old Trafford since Alex Ferguson was manager gave Ten Hag confidence.
"You need a strategy to build, but you also need results to get that strong conviction," Ten Hag told reporters.
"It's another step because when you can beat Barcelona – one of the best teams in Europe at the moment – your belief is very strong because I think you can beat anybody.
"It was a magnificent night. I think it's great when you beat Barcelona in La Liga and get eight points ahead of Real Madrid, and we've seen Real Madrid this week [against Liverpool]. We put on a fantastic show.
This is not the first time this season that United have come back behind in a major game at home, having beaten Premier League champions Manchester City 2-1 last month.
Ten Hag praised the character of his players.
"We have great personalities in this team, from David (De Gea), Rafa (Varane), Richard (Martinez), Casemiro, Bruno (Fernandes), such a winning type," he said.
Brazilian striker Antony came off the bench at half-time to score the winning goal against Barcelona.
"Everyone has such strong belief in this team and this team's fight," Ten Hag said. "You can see that in the benches, who are coming on, bringing energy and quality and bringing different motivation in the game.
"I think all the substitutes, not only in this game but in many previous games, have done well."