Celta Vigo boss Eduardo Berizzo says his side do not fear Manchester United but respect Jose Mourinho's men
* Celta Vigo will face Manchester United in the Europa League semi-final
* Berizzo says his men are up for the task but respect Jose Mourinho's side
* The European semi-final is the first in Celta Vigo's playing history
Celta Vigo coach Eduardo Berizzo insists the Spaniards will have no fear of Manchester United in Thursday’s Europa League semi-final – but they do respect Jose Mourinho’s side.
Although Vigo currently languish in 11th place in the La Liga table, they have beaten Barcelona three years in a row and twice scored four goals against the Catalan giants at the Estadio Balaidos.
They go into their first ever European semi-final as big underdogs, but Berizzo believes his players will embrace the occasion.
‘More than feared, Manchester United are respected,’ said the 47-year-old Argentine coach. ‘We have played against some great teams in this competition, and Manchester United is definitely one of them.
History identifies them as one of them. We will win with conviction, identity and heart – at least we hope to.
Celta Vigo coach Eduardo Berizzo insists his side have no fear of Manchester United. Vigo are full of respect for Jose Mourinho and his Red Devils side, but are ready for the task
‘I respect Jose Mourinho terribly. Fortunately it’s not the coaches who play the match. We help our players by encouraging them and giving them strength for the future and hopefully that’s what will happen tomorrow.
‘This game has international significance, it’s the match all the fans want to see.
‘Vigo has always lived and dreamed of giving something like this so this is a great match for the city. Really the joy and the dream is very obvious with the city.’
Berizzo is a disciple and former assistant to Marcela Bielsa who knocked United out of this competition with Athletic Bilbao in 2012, and has adopted the same high-intensity, pressing tactics with Celta. He believes that sticking to their principles is the key to toppling United this time.
‘How do you beat them? Being faithful to who we are,’ he added. ‘The team has a very clear identity, they know who they are and believe in it. A lot of pressure, possession, recovering the ball quickly to attack again. The only way to beat Manchester United is to be faithful to who we are facing such a great team as them.
‘I was a witness to Bielsa’s match with Athletic Bilbao in Manchester. He found a tactical solution to that match and that may be a clue to follow tomorrow.
‘Manchester United know what they are doing, they know how to manage the pace, the defence the attack. We want to go to Manchester with a chance of winning and the only way to do that is to be faithful to our own game.’
Like United, Celta have played nine games in April but have had the luxury of resting players in La Liga to keep them fresh in Europe.
Berizzo added: ‘We’ve really learned how to pace ourselves and recuperate very fast. We’ve done a big effort in that part of training. It’s very clear when I look back, I thank the players for their attitude and commitment. The squad has really believed in this idea and that has translated into results as we are seeing.'
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4470710/Celta-Vigo-not-fear-Manchester-United-says-Berizzo.html
berat juga nih kalo melihat rekor away ke klub Spanyol yg hanya menang 2x, sedangkan Vigo jika bermain di kandang (atau menghadapi klub Inggris, lupa) baru 2x kalah kalo gak salah
#cmiiw