Manchester United veteran Juan Mata says they cannot afford to take lightly Europa League opponents Club Brugge.

United take on Club Brugge on Thursday night, looking to progress in the competition that could yet provide their best route to qualification for next season's Champions League.

“I think the key is not to make too many mistakes, because a very cheap goal can cost you in the competition," said the 31-year-old.

“So it's about being focused on what you have to do, to play at your best level and to try to grow into the competition. It's different than the Premier League, you can lose a game but you still have a chance to come back and win more points.

“In the Europa League, if you have a bad day you can be out of the competition, so you have to be really 100 per cent focused in every game."

He added: “They're a good Belgian team and I remember when they played in the Champions League, so they're a team that has good experience in European competitions and they won't be afraid of playing against us.

“We'll try to go through and we'll remember the good memories we have from the Europa League and Stockholm in the final against Ajax when we won [in 2017]. It's a really nice competition to win."