Manchester United had an easy 4-0 win in their first Champions League match in three years. They faced Azerbaijani champions Sabah, who were making their debut in this top European competition, on Thursday at Old Trafford.
Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Sesko, and Lisandro Martinez scored for United as they took advantage of a friendly draw to kick off their Champions League journey.
United had a slow start in the Premier League, earning just four points from their first three games against newly-promoted Hull and Ipswich and a game against Everton.
But the gap in quality was clear as soon as Cunha scored the first goal in the 27th minute. Sabah worked hard to reach this stage, going through four rounds of qualifying.
Coach Valdas Dambrauskas was back at Old Trafford. His journey to the Champions League started at Manchester United Soccer Schools. He balanced many part-time jobs to get by.
Dambrauskas admitted before the match that reaching the Champions League was a huge step for Sabah, who have not yet played in the Europa or Conference League.
United manager Michael Carrick could not have wished for an easier match before the big Manchester derby against City on Sunday.
Carrick left out Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, and Marcus Rashford. Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo, Bryan Mbeumo, and Sesko rested in the second half.
Sabah, despite facing 74,000 fans in United's first Champions League game in nearly three years, started the match strong.
But once United found their rhythm, they dominated. Patrick Dorgu did well in Shaw's absence and crossed for Cunha to score the opening goal at the near post.
Two quick goals just before halftime sealed the match. A smart play between Tielemans and Fernandes set up the United captain. He scored his fourth goal in two home games this season.
Mbeumo then assisted Sesko, who rounded the goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov and rolled the ball into an empty net to score on his first start of the season.
United could relax in the second half, but they added to their lead after a mistake from Pokatilov.
Initially, it seemed the danger was gone when Joshua Zirkzee’s backheel from Fernandes's free-kick was blocked.
But the ball got tangled at the feet of the Kazakh goalkeeper, and Martinez took his chance to score into an empty net.
United will face tougher challenges ahead, starting with their next Champions League match against Atletico Madrid in five weeks.
This win also marked a great week for English clubs, with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Manchester City all winning their matches.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇