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Manchester United marked their long-awaited return to the Champions League with a commanding 4-0 win over Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK at Old Trafford
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The victory arrived just days after United had let a late lead slip in a 2-2 draw at Everton, and the comprehensive nature of the win against Sabah gave Michael Carrick exactly the kind of response he needed
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Sabah, playing in the Champions League’s league phase for the first time in the club’s nine-year history, had a genuine chance to draw level when Joy-Lance Mickels missed an open goal
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With the result settled well before full time, Carrick was able to rotate his squad and manage the workload of several key players
September 10, (THEWILL) – Manchester United’s return to the Champions League went about as smoothly as Michael Carrick could have hoped, with his side brushing aside Sabah FK 4-0 at Old Trafford to build some much-needed momentum heading into the weekend’s Manchester derby.
It had been over two seasons since United last featured in Europe’s top competition, but there was little sign of rust once the game got going.
Goals from Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Sesko and Lisandro Martinez ensured a routine night’s work against the Azerbaijani champions, who were making their own history by appearing in the league phase for the very first time.
The win carried extra significance given what had happened just days earlier.
United had led at Everton on Sunday only to concede a stoppage-time equaliser and settle for a 2-2 draw, a result that added to the sense of a stop-start opening to the Premier League season.
Against Sabah, there was no such late slip-up, with United controlling the contest from an early stage and growing more comfortable as the game progressed.
Bruno Fernandes was once again central to United’s attacking play, while Benjamin Sesko was given his first start of the season as Carrick looked to hand the summer signing some valuable minutes.
United created chances early without initially finding a breakthrough, with Sabah showing more attacking intent than a side simply happy to sit back and defend.
The opening goal eventually arrived in the 27th minute, sparked by Fernandes refusing to give up on what looked like a lost cause.
His pressure forced a mistake from Sabah, and United broke quickly down the left, where Patrick Dorgu supplied the cross.
Cunha met it with a firm finish into the ground, beating goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov to put the hosts ahead.
Sabah responded almost immediately with a chance of their own. Kaheem Parris found space down the right and picked out Mickels at the back post, only for the forward to head wide with the goal gaping.
It was a costly miss, and United made the visitors pay before the interval.
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Six minutes after Cunha’s opener, Fernandes doubled United’s lead, calmly finishing after Youri Tielemans showed sharp awareness to combine with Cunha and tee up his captain.
Moments before half-time, United struck again. Fernandes released Bryan Mbeumo, who in turn sent Sesko clear on goal.
The striker rounded Pokatilov with composure and rolled the ball into an empty net, capping off a first Champions League start to remember.
With the game effectively decided by half-time, Carrick used the second period to freshen up his squad, introducing Mason Mount for Tielemans at the break as he continued managing minutes with Sunday firmly in mind.
United’s control of the match continued regardless, and a fourth goal arrived in the 68th minute when substitute Joshua Zirkzee produced a clever backheel from a Fernandes free-kick, with the ball deflecting awkwardly off a Sabah defender before Martinez finished from close range.
Sabah pushed for a consolation in the closing stages but were unable to find a way past United’s defence, allowing Carrick’s side to close out the win comfortably and preserve a clean sheet on their European return.
Beyond the three points and the emphatic scoreline, the timing of the result matters just as much.
United now shift their full focus to Sunday’s Manchester derby against City at Old Trafford, a fixture that will demand a far higher level of intensity than Thursday’s straightforward European outing.
Having rested and rotated key players while still delivering a dominant performance, Carrick will hope this win becomes the platform for a strong response in one of the biggest games of the season so far, rather than just a routine result against inexperienced opposition.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
