5 reasons for Manchester United fans to be optimistic in 2018

#4 Champions League dark horses?

Are Manchester United dark horses in this season's Champions League race?

United's failure to pick up wins against Leicester, Burnley and Southampton, coupled with the Manchester derby defeat and Manchester City's record-breaking winning run means any hope of a Premier League triumph has been extinguished.

However, the Champions League remains an opportunity for Manchester United to make a statement in Europe.

While the team's current form does not show it, United have already proven this season that its best football is good enough to beat just about anyone on the planet.

The club has already been handed a somewhat generous draw in the Round of 16, where they will face a Sevilla side struggling for form in recent weeks.

To win the Champions League, United will undoubtedly have to beat one of the world's best teams, be it Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain or even Manchester City, but the truth is that United's numbers this season stack up with the best of the best.

In the Premier League, United have scored 45 goals in 22 games (2.04 goal per game) and conceded just 16 (0.72 per game). In the Champions League, United only dropped three points and scored 12 goals across six games, conceding just three.

United are a hard team to beat and if Mourinho can find a way to keep his side tight at the back and still get the most out of his frightening offence, United is a match for anyone in Europe.

With a bit of luck in the draw and some solid guidance from Mourinho, United could very well be the dark horse in the Champions League.