VIGO, Spain -- Celta Vigo coach Eduardo Berizzo has told Manchester United they have earned the respect of his club ahead of Thursday's Europa League semifinal first-leg but insists they will not fear Jose Mourinho's team.
Celta, currently lying mid-table in La Liga, will contest their first major European semifinal against United at Estadio de Balaidos.
The Premier League side -- three-time European champions -- travel to Spain's Atlantic coast aiming to improve on a record that has seen them win just two of 22 previous visits to the country in order to boost their prospects of reaching the final in Stockholm on May 24.
Celta's Argentine coach Berizzo, a former player with the Spanish club, insists the magnitude of the occasion and his team's philosophy will ensure that they will not fear United.
"Rather than feared, I would say United are respected," Berizzo said. "We have played against great teams in this Europa League, but Man United are definitely one of the greatest.
"How do we win? By being faithful to who we are. The team has a clear identity, they believe in it -- possession, attacking quickly -- and the only way to beat United is to be faithful to who we are.
"United change according to the rival they play against and we have to be ready for that, but we will win with identity, conviction and heart and hope that United's statistic stays as it is -- two wins in Spain."
United's visit is regarded in Vigo as the biggest occasion in Celta's 94-year history and Berizzo, speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, said it was a "dream" for the club and his squad to face United.
"If we are talking about a cup final, I think this match is just as important as that," Berizzo said. "But this has international significance too, so it is the match all our followers want to see.
"The joy and the dream is very obvious for this city. Vigo has always lived and dreamed of having something like this, so this is a great match for the city.
"A lot of our young players have more than 100 matches behind them in La Liga, so they are ready. They have matured very quickly and that allows them to compete at this level."
Celta face United with a strike-force of an ex-Liverpool forward -- Iago Aspas -- and one-time Manchester City striker John Guidetti.
Aspas failed to score a single Premier League goal during his one full season at Anfield in 2013-14, but Berizzo says the 29-year-old has enjoyed a resurgence at Celta because of his maturity on and off the pitch.
"Iago has experienced personal maturity and that is the difference, which is more than my influence on him," Berizzo said. "He has really assumed leadership of the team and playing on the right really liberates him.
"That enables him to combine better with the central forwards and become an important player for us."