Man United cruise to victory on Champions League return

Manchester United recorded their biggest Champions League victory since 2020 as they swept Sabah FK aside at Old Trafford. The Azerbaijan champions came through four rounds of qualifying to reach the main league phase of the tournament for the first time. However, though they had chances, they were also given a brutal lesson in the gulf in class between the level they are used to and the Premier League, whose five entrants have all opened their respective campaigns by picking up three points. With just three days to prepare for Sunday’s Manchester derby, United head coach Michael Carrick would have been pleased to effectively kill the contest by half-time, thanks to goals from Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko. For Sesko in particular, it was an important night.

Starting for the first time since 3 May, the Slovenian brought a focus to United’s attack which has not been evident for their opening three Premier League games. It surely puts him in contention to start against Manchester City, which begs the question who will be on the left – Cunha or Marcus Rashford, who remained on the bench throughout. The conundrum is one Carrick will relish because, while he said at Everton on Sunday that United’s start to the season had “not been that bad”, he also knows four points from three games cannot become four from four. As far as the Champions League goes, United could not have asked for more accommodating opponents after more than a thousand days out of the competition. With trips to Atletico Madrid, Como and Sporting Lisbon ahead, plus home games with Roma and Bayern Munich, victory was important to ensure there was no early ground to make up, as is now the case in the Premier League. It probably will not stay that way, but nestled just behind holders Paris…