Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a world record £80m fee in 2009 Photo: The Sport Review

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Real Madrid have a “better team” than Manchester United, with the forward confident over his side’s chances of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

The 28-year-old is set to face his former club for the first time since completing a world record £80m move to the Spanish capital from Old Trafford in 2009 when the Red Devils travel to the Bernabeu for the first leg of the last-16 tie later this month

“I believe things will go well. In my opinion Real Madrid have a better team, but we have to show that on the pitch because United are a very united team and always have been in recent years,” Ronaldo told Champions magazine.

“They’re a team that always do well, every year they’re at the top and therefore a team we respect a lot. It will be an extremely difficult match, especially in Manchester.”

The Portugal international has been linked with a surprise return to the Red Devils, who top the Premier League by nine points, as Madrid struggle in third place in La Liga.

And Ronaldo admitted that he has fond memories of his time at the Manchester outfit, having won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and Champions League during a six-year spell at United.

“I actually said beforehand that I believed we would draw Manchester United,” added the Portuguese forward.

“I’ve wanted to face them for some time. I have great memories from my time there.

“It will be a match in which I will feel a lot. I was there for six years. I have a lot of friends there, people I will see with great pleasure, it will be a match with a lot of emotions.”