Diogo Dalot has lifted the lid on the ‘demanding’ changes that Ralf Rangnick has made since arriving at Manchester United.

Rangnick replaced the sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford. The German began work on December 2 and will stay in his interim position until the end of the season. He will then move into a consultancy role, with a new permanent manager set to be unveiled at the end of the campaign.

The Red Devils are currently fifth, just one point behind fourth-placed Arsenal. However the Gunners have played three games fewer and hold all the aces for a Champions League berth.

The jury is still out on the difference that Rangnick has actually made to the squad. But Dalot insists the veteran tactician has helped his game and has had a positive influence on the side.

“Ralf talks a lot about anticipation and being proactive, and that’s one of the things that I’ve been trying to work on the most because sometimes being at the right place at the right time can stop you making mistakes,” he told Uefa.

“We have a demanding type of game, a demanding style of play; you want to press really high, but you also want to be careful with balance at the back.

“Then when you have the ball, you have to play forward, you have to be intense, you have to help the team in the last third as a full-back.

“However, you also have to be ready to defend as well. It’s demanding, but we’re at a club where everything is demanding. Everything is the highest level, highly competitive.”

Dalot has benefited from Rangnick’s arrival, with more game time than under the previous regime. United are set to face Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie today.

Dalot did not feature in the 1-1 draw away from home but may get the nod at the Theatre of Dreams. And he expects the Spaniards to be every bit as intense as United.

“When I think of Atletico, obviously I don’t know [them] from the inside, but what I can see from the outside is their values, the way they express themselves, their desire,” he added.

“We have a word in Portuguese to describe this desire to win every single ball, hunting down everyone, defending, being there for 90 minutes, fighting for each other and trying to win every single ball as if it was the last.

“We need to be ready for everything, because they’re a fantastic team, not only in La Liga, but also in the Champions League.”