Man Utd beat Sabah 4-0 on Champions League return — SkimNews
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- Manchester United beat Sabah FC 4-0 at Old Trafford in the Champions League, with first-half goals from Matheus Cunha (27'), Bruno Fernandes (42') and Benjamin Sesko (45') — set up by Mbeumo — putting the game out of reach before Lisandro Martinez added a fourth after the break (68').
- The win marked United's first Champions League match in over 1,000 days and their 300th in the competition, against an Azerbaijani side that started brightly before being overwhelmed.
- Michael Carrick faces a selection headache ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby, with Benjamin Sesko pressing his case on his first start of the season, Youri Tielemans producing 'perhaps his best 45 minutes at Old Trafford,' and Joshua Zirkzee capping an eye-catching cameo with the backheel assist for Martinez's goal.
- Sabah missed a golden chance to equalize when Joy-Lance Mickels headed wide from inside the six-yard box in the 36th minute, with the score still 1-0.
- Goal difference could prove significant in the league-phase format, making the emphatic margin a 'fine night's work' on United's return, with Atletico Madrid away the next European assignment.
- Marcus Rashford was noted as available for selection again, while Patrick Dorgu filled in at left-back with Luke Shaw missing from the squad, playing as a de facto winger given United's superiority.
Why it matters: Carrick's 4-0 cruise restored confidence and built crucial goal difference in the new Champions League league phase, but the real test is Sunday's Manchester derby — where the manager must pick from a suddenly crowded squad featuring Sesko, Tielemans, Zirkzee and a returning Rashford.
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