Sylva said: “Cristiano Ronaldo today is playing very well and he is the star of their team. But for me he is not the best player in England. I know Didier Drogba well and he is a much more complete player in attack than Ronaldo.
“Mentally we are ready to spring a big surprise in this match. We do not fear Manchester United. They are better than last year but in Europe all is possible. They play this round with more pressure than us and that is an advantage for Lille.
“Lille know the style of the English and I warn them that this will not be easy for them. United will need to fight to get past us. It is possible United will be after revenge but in the heads of their players they will remember last season’s defeat and that may affect their performance on the field.”