Coach Graham Arnold has branded Sydney FC's Asian Champions League clash with Shandong Luneng as season-defining, declaring his team has the firepower to win through to the final eight.
Sydney host the Chinese Super League side in Wednesday night's second round-of-16 leg at Allianz Stadium with a favourable 1-1 away draw under their belts.
After a disappointing A-League season devoid of finals action, the Sky Blues have made club history in Asia by topping the tournament's group of death.
Courtesy of a vital away goal, they're now primed for a maiden quarterfinals berth.
Arnold said his squad hold their destiny in their own hands.
"It's our chance to make up for the performance in the A-League that wasn't fantastic," Arnold said on Tuesday.
"Other clubs have done it. Melbourne Victory have done it.
"We finished six places lower than last year and so did they.
"It's a season-defining game, it's an opportunity for us. We've had a tough year, it's been a long year. After tomorrow night it's been 11 full months, and during that period we've had ups and downs and it's been a test of character for everyone involved."
Arnold expects to start an unchanged lineup from last week's match in China, with defender Seb Ryall unlikely to return from a quad injury.
With a well-rested and fit squad with no A-League commitments, Sydney will have an edge of freshness over a Shandong outfit who will play their seventh game in 21 days.
Arnold's hosts will also benefit from the potential absence of Shandong defender Gil.
The 28-year-old centre-back did not arrive in Sydney with the rest of the squad on Monday and was called up to Brazil's national team for the Copa America starting on June 3.
Still in the mix, however, is fellow Brazilian Diego Tardelli.
The talented forward has been hampered by a hamstring issue and was again rested for the weekend's CSL match, when Mano Menezes' team were held at home to a goalless draw by Henan Jianye.
Arnold has no intention of playing for the minimum scoreless draw required, describing that approach as "extremely dangerous."
"We've got to be ready for anything that happens," he said.
"Myself mentally, I've got four our five plans ready that may need to occur during that 90 minutes.
"Last week we played very well over in Shandong. We controlled big parts of that game."