"Would Manchester United be in the last 16 without him?" – Merih Demiral pinpoints how Cristiano Ronaldo 'always makes the difference'

Atalanta defender Merih Demiral believes Manchester United would not have qualified for the knockout rounds of the Champions League without Cristiano Ronaldo.

Demiral stated that it was always better to be teammates with Cristiano Ronaldo than to face him on the pitch. The 23-year-old defender credited the Portuguese superstar for Manchester United's successful group phase in the Champions League.

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia), Merih Demiral said:

"I can easily say that it’s better to have him in your team rather than against you. He always makes the difference. Look at what he’s done in the Champions League. Would Manchester United be in the last 16 without him? No…"

Demiral has also revealed that he has a close relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo and the pair are still in constant touch with each other. The Atalanta defender added:

"There’s a strong bond between Cristiano and me. He's always helped me and we often chat on Whatsapp. I think he is one of the best people I’ve ever met."

Merih Demiral and Cristiano Ronaldo were previously teammates when the pair played for Juventus. However, both players left the Old Lady in the summer transfer window.

Demiral joined Atalanta on loan while Cristiano Ronaldo left Juventus to rejoin Manchester United in the Premier League.

Manchester United and Atalanta were both drawn into the same Champions League group. Cristiano Ronaldo was the deciding factor in both of their encounters in the group stage.

The 36-year-old forward first netted a late winner to secure three points for the Red Devils at Old Trafford before scoring a late equalizer in Italy to rescue a point.

Manchester United topped their group while Atalanta finished third and were dropped down to the Europa League. The Red Devils only lost one game in the group phase, which was against Swiss champions BSC Young Boys.

---

Cristiano Ronaldo is Manchester United's leading goalscorer

Cristiano Ronaldo has continued to score goals at an alarming rate. He is currently Manchester United's leading goalscorer this season.

Ronaldo has scored 13 goals in 18 appearances for Manchester United across all competitions. Six of those goals have come in five Champions League games.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner recently scored a second-half penalty to lead Manchester United to a 1-0 win over Norwich City. It is worth noting that the penalty was Ronaldo's first goal for the club since the arrival of Ralf Rangnick as United's interim manager.