MANCHESTER: Manchester United marked their return to the Champions League with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Azerbaijani champions Sabah at Old Trafford on Thursday, as the Red Devils showcased their pedigree against the competition debutants.
Matheus Cunha broke the deadlock before Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Sesko and Lisandro Martinez added their names to the scoresheet. The three-time European champions took full advantage of a favorable draw to launch their campaign in style after a three-season absence from the continent's premier club competition.
United's domestic form has been unconvincing, collecting just four points from three Premier League fixtures against newly-promoted sides Hull and Ipswich, plus a visit to Everton. However, the gulf in quality between the storied English club and an outfit founded merely nine years ago became apparent once Cunha found the breakthrough in the 27th minute.
Sabah earned their place at the Theatre of Dreams after successfully navigating four qualifying rounds. Their coach Valdas Dambrauskas returned to Old Trafford where his remarkable journey once began—he previously worked at Manchester United Soccer Schools while juggling multiple part-time positions to support himself financially.
Dambrauskas acknowledged before kickoff that his team had essentially skipped several developmental stages by reaching the Champions League group phase without prior experience in the Europa League or Conference League.
With Sunday's Manchester derby against City looming, United manager Michael Carrick rotated heavily. Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford were left out entirely, while Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo, Bryan Mbeumo and Sesko all received second-half rests.
Despite facing 74,000 spectators in United's first Champions League appearance in nearly three years, Sabah began with confidence. But once the hosts shifted into higher gear, the Premier League giants proved unstoppable.
Patrick Dorgu impressed in Shaw's absence, delivering the cross that Cunha expertly directed home at the near post for the opening goal.
Two quickfire goals before halftime sealed the outcome. Neat interplay between Tielemans and Fernandes created space for the United captain to convert his fourth goal in two home matches this season. Mbeumo then released Sesko, who rounded goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov before rolling into the unguarded net to mark his first start of the campaign with a goal.
United controlled proceedings after the interval and added a fourth through fortuitous circumstances. Joshua Zirkzee's backheel from Fernandes's chipped free-kick was initially blocked, but the ball bounced awkwardly around the Kazakh goalkeeper's feet, allowing Martinez to fire into the vacant goal.
Sterner examinations of United's credentials at Europe's elite level await, beginning with their next Champions League fixture at Atletico Madrid in five weeks. Nevertheless, this victory completed a successful week for English clubs, with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester City also securing winning starts to their campaigns.
