Manchester United marked their return to the UEFA Champions League with a 4-0 victory over Azerbaijani champions Sabah at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Matheus Cunha opened the scoring in the 27th minute before Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko added two more goals before half-time. Lisandro Martínez completed the scoring in the second half as United secured a convincing victory on their return to Europe’s elite club competition.
United controlled the match for long periods and kept a clean sheet, giving manager Michael Carrick a positive start to the club’s Champions League campaign.
The victory was also significant for Sabah, who were making their debut in the Champions League league phase. Despite the heavy defeat, the Azerbaijani club made competition history by starting the match with players from 11 different nationalities.
United’s result comes ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby against Manchester City, giving Carrick’s side a boost before their next Premier League fixture.
For Sabah, the defeat marks a difficult introduction to the league phase, although their qualification represents a significant achievement for a club founded in 2017
