Manchester United marked their return to the Champions League with a commanding 4-0 victory over Sabah FK at Old Trafford, recording their biggest win in the competition since 2020.
The Azerbaijani champions had battled through four qualifying rounds to reach the league phase for the first time, but United quickly exposed the gap in quality between the two sides.
Michael Carrick’s team effectively settled the contest before the break, with Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko all finding the net as United took complete control.
Sesko’s performance was particularly significant. Making his first start since 3 May, the Slovenia international gave United a stronger focal point in attack after an uneven opening to their Premier League campaign.
His display could strengthen his case to start Sunday’s Manchester derby against Manchester City. That would leave Carrick with a selection decision on the left, where Cunha and Marcus Rashford are competing for a place after Rashford remained unused against Sabah.
United entered the European fixture with four points from their opening three league matches, increasing the importance of building momentum ahead of the derby.
The Champions League schedule is set to become considerably tougher. United still face away matches against Atletico Madrid, Como and Sporting Lisbon, while Roma and Bayern Munich are due to visit Old Trafford.
That made a convincing opening victory particularly valuable after United had spent more than 1,000 days outside the competition.
Sabah did create a handful of opportunities, but United’s greater quality and efficiency ensured there was little prospect of an upset.
With all five Premier League representatives winning their opening Champions League fixtures, United have joined a strong English start to the league phase.
Their emphatic result also leaves them positioned near the early leaders, including holders Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Bayern, giving Carrick’s side an encouraging platform before the difficulty of their European campaign increases.