Birkirkara are a solid team with good players that are "not Messis", West Ham United coach Slaven Bilic said ahead of today's meeting between the two clubs.
“They are a good team, of course," Bilic, who succeeded Sam Allardyce in the close season, told reporters ahead of the first leg of their Europa League second qualifying round match against Birkirkara tonight at the Boleyn Stadium (kick-off 8.45pm).
"We are clear favourites on paper.
"They (Birkirkara) beat a team from Armenia quite easily and I know many of their players, young players, play in the Russian league. They are good, a nice team.
“They have a new coach, an Italian guy (Giovanni Tedesco) who was a really good player in Serie A. He has good experience, good players, good internationals, not Messis, but definitely good players.
"We are expecting a tough game, we are clear favourites but we cannot afford any surprises.
“We are going to be aware, we want to progress. That’s the way we are going to approach the game, of course."
Bilic, who took Besiktas to the last 16 of the Europa League last season, courted controversy in the previous round after fielding what amounted to second-string team that still proved strong enough to see off Andorran minnows Lusitans 4-0 on aggregate.
The former Croatia international irked his Andorran counterpart Xavi Roura by watching the first-leg game from the stands but there will be no repeat of that this evening as Bilic made it clear that he intends to field a stronger team against Birkirkara.
"It will be a different team," Bilic said.
"The first round was great for the young players to show themselves, especially at Upton Park, a full stadium. It was a great for them, a night to remember and I’m sure they’re going to remember it.
“This game is different. It’s not ideal because I would like our players to be ready for 60 minutes an, for example, the reason why some of them didn’t play at Peterborough, Mark played 45 because we knew this game was coming.
"It’s a different opponent, different build-up."
West Ham, who earned a place in the Europa League through the Fair Play League, may be everyone's favourites to advance to the next round but they are clearly not taking Birkirkara lightly.
Asked whether, at 36, Fabrizio Miccoli, Birkirkara's marque signing, can still make an impact at this level, Bilic replied: "Players like (Ryan) Giggs and Paul (Scholes) played well into their thirties and they were still very good.
"Miccoli was fantastic with Palermo and also did well for Italy. He's the big name (in Birkirkara's team) and he is still fit.
"When he gets the ball in the box, he is certainly still fit enough to score goals."
West Ham have been very busy in the transfer market, signing a host of new players including Italy defender Angelo Ogbonna, from Juventus, Pedro Obiang, from Sampdoria, and Dimitri Payet, from Marseille, while defender Carl Jenkinson has rejoined the Londoners on loan from Arsenal.
Of the new additions, only Obiang is in contention for tonight's game.
Diafra Sakho, who hit a brace in the first-leg 3-0 defeat of Lusitans, is suspended after his sending-off in last week's return leg while playmaker Payet must also serve a ban from his time with Marseille.