United Back in Style with 4-0 Rout of Sabah at Old Trafford

MANCHESTER United made an emphatic start to their UEFA Champions League campaign with a commanding 4-0 victory over Azerbaijani champions Sabah at Old Trafford early Friday morning.

The win marked the Red Devils’ return to Europe’s premier club competition after a three-season absence and provided a major confidence boost for Michael Carrick’s side.

Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko were all on target in the first half before Lisandro Martinez completed the rout after the break.

Carrick was delighted with his team’s performance, particularly as United not only scored four goals but also kept a clean sheet.

“It’s great to keep a clean sheet and, of course, to win the game.

“I thought some of our attacking moves were very good, and there were some passages of football that we played really well,” he said.

The comfortable victory also allowed Carrick to manage the workload of several key players ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby against Manchester City.

Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford were not included in the squad, while Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo, Bryan Mbeumo and Sesko were rested during the second half.

The situation suggests Carrick now has greater flexibility to rotate his squad as United prepare for a more demanding schedule across domestic and European competitions.

It was also a positive start in Europe for United after collecting just four points from their opening three English Premier League matches of the season.

The Red Devils can now turn their attention to the home derby against Manchester City at midnight on Sunday.

United will then face a tougher Champions League challenge when they travel to Atletico Madrid for their next European fixture in five weeks.

Sinar Harian