Raphael Varane: 'Manchester United can win Champions League this season'

Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane has insisted that there is enough quality in the squad at Old Trafford to win the Champions League this season.

The Red Devils have made a poor start to the 2023-24 campaign, losing five of their opening nine matches, including their Champions League group-stage opener to Bayern Munich.

Man United will now be looking to get off the mark in Group A when they welcome Turkish giants Galatasaray to Old Trafford on Tuesday night.

Varane sat alongside Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag on Monday for the Dutchman's pre-match press conference and was asked about his side's chances of winning the European Cup.

The 30-year-old lifted four Champions League crowns during his time at Real Madrid, and he is confident that Man United can challenge for the trophy despite the team's issues this term.

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"I think this competition is about details, and you have to be efficient to win it. At the moment, in the last [few] weeks, I think what we can improve is to be more efficient in front of the goals," he told reporters.

"With a very low number of occasions, we concede goals and we need to create a lot to score. That's the reality of the top level. You have to be efficient to win big trophies."

When directly asked whether Man United could win it this season, he added: "Yes, I think so. I think we have the quality in the squad to win the competition.

"As I said, the competition is difficult. You have to take care about every detail. But yeah, we have a team with quality, with good mentality.

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"We have to make some improvements, it's not the start of the season we expected, but I still believe we have enough quality to compete with the best teams in the world.

"Tomorrow is a great opportunity to get the first points in that competition and to move forward and to improve."

Man United have won the European Cup on three separate occasions, first lifting the trophy in 1968, before also claiming the silverware in 1999 and 2008.

In their last participation in the competition, they reached the round of 16 in 2021-22, losing to Atletico Madrid, before spending last season in the Europa League.

Man United will enter the clash with Galatasaray off the back of a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League, which made it four defeats from their first seven games of the campaign.