"Of course we can beat them but we know what we'll have to do to do that. You need to play to a very high level and get a bit of luck as well - you always need that at the big clubs," Hughton told reporters.
"You can't go there with fear because if you do then it's inevitable what will happen. You have to go there with a belief and a confidence that you can get something."
Hughton said Brighton, ninth in the league, were clear underdogs to second-placed United, who sit eight points behind leaders City with eight victories in 12 games.
"I am being realistic when I say that a large majority of people in football would not expect us to get a result on Saturday," Hughton added.
"In some ways that's not a bad starting position because it takes the pressure off the team and we know that anything that we can get will be a bonus.
"But we are going there in good form and we've been a good team so far this season, so what is important is that you stay in the game because these are the types of games that if you don't, then you can get beat big."
(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru)
