Former Manchester United centre-back Gary Pallister believes it would require a "minor miracle" for United to win the Champions League this season.
Pallister, who played for United between 1989 and 1998, made the admission ahead of his former side's first-leg clash with Atletico Madrid in the last-16 of the Champions League at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
United, who last won the Champions League in 2008, progressed to the last-16 as Group F winners, finishing just one point ahead of second-placed Villarreal.
Having had to rely heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo's goals during the group stage, United's chances of going the distance in the competition are not being rated very highly, a view shared by Pallister, who believes United will struggle to compete with the competition's favourites.
Pallister, when asked what would be required for United to go all the way this term, told OLBG : "It would probably be a minor miracle. I'd love to say United are getting better and are in with a chance, but we've hit a brick wall at the moment.
"When you look at the likes of [Manchester] City and what they've just done to Sporting Lisbon, can Manchester United play at that level? No, I don't think they can.
"But it can happen, I remember watching that Chelsea side win when [Didier] Drogba scored that header in the final [in 2012], they weren't the best side that year.
"They managed to find a way to the final and then ended up winning it, so it isn't an impossible task, but you'd have to say we're not playing well enough as a side to really be classed as a favourite to win the Champions League."
With Ronaldo having almost single-handedly guided United into the knockout stages - scoring six of their 11 group goals - Pallister believes it is important that United progress as a collective unit instead of being a team packed full of individuals.
"We're rank outsiders so you can never say never, and things can get better because we have players who are top quality who can change games," he added.
"We need to be a better team rather than individuals before we can be in with a shout, but who knows, the final is a few months away so there's time.
"It's a difficult task to get through Atletico because they're a hard side to beat, but it's one tie at a time, if they can get through it then it might give the players belief.
"You take that confidence into the next game, but if I was a betting man, I would probably keep my pound in my pocket."
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