Ferguson has seen enough of Deportivo - they beat United 2-1 with a barnstorming finish in Spain last month - to speculate excitedly that last season's quarterfinalists can contribute to a Champions League classic at Old Trafford tonight.
Ferguson has also witnessed his team clearing the early-season cobwebs to produce performances against Olympiakos and Sunderland that reinforce his firm belief that he has assembled United's strongest- ever squad for his curtain-call season.
It leaves the manager an unenviable selection task - by his own admission three top players will not even make the bench - but his keen anticipation of the game underlines his appetite is as healthy as ever.
Ferguson said: ' When good teams get together you're hoping there's the right chemistry and that both want to try to win. That creates the platform like we had against Barcelona and Real Madrid where the mentality and history means winning and performance is really important.
'It can happen again. Before this tournament started we saw Deportivo as the biggest challengers, and ourselves as their biggest challenge, and results have borne that out.
'They are top of their league, which says a lot about them, and we are starting to show signs we are approaching top form.'
Group leaders United have won only once in their last 13 games against Spanish opposition, but Ferguson will be expecting to avenge their La Coruna surrender tonight.
