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Manchester United Returns to Champions League with Sabah Clash
Confirmed
In Short: Manchester United faces Azerbaijani underdog Sabah in a UEFA Champions League match at Old Trafford.
Manchester United returns to European club football’s biggest stage on Thursday with an intriguing UEFA Champions League clash at Old Trafford against Sabah, an Azerbaijani underdog making its tournament debut. The match marks a return to the Champions League for United, which has not qualified for the competition since its disappointing showing in the 2023-24 season.
Manchester United CEO Ramin Hasanov and former Academy coach Valdas Dambrauskas, who worked for the club around 20 years ago, have ties to Azerbaijan, adding an interesting dimension to the match. Dambrauskas, now coaching Sabah, has an intriguing story, having once worked for United’s Soccer Schools across the UK and internationally.
Manchester United’s match against Sabah on Thursday, Sept. 10, at Old Trafford is set for 8 p.m., with the team looking to respond positively after conceding an equaliser to Everton in their last match. The match is a far cry from their upcoming meeting with Manchester City, but Michael Carrick remains optimistic about their chances in Europe.
The match saw Manchester United dominate with 44 shots, leading to a 5-0 victory, with JJ Gabriel scoring a hat-trick. Despite the lopsided scoreline, the match highlighted United’s need to improve their performance, with a sloppy pass from Benjamin Sesko causing an attack to break down. The BBC Sport Manchester United reporter at Old Trafford, Simon Stone, noted the team’s strong performance, particularly in terms of shot count.
The match also featured notable players from the B-List, including Leny Yoro, and saw changes to the starting lineup, with Matheus Cunha and others making significant contributions. The victory sets the stage for United’s next challenge in the Champions League, with the team looking to build on this performance as they face tougher opponents in the coming weeks.
What's confirmed
- Manchester United returns to European club football’s biggest stage on Thursday with an intriguing UEFA Champions League clash at Old Trafford against Sabah, an Azerbaijani underdog making its tournament debut. The match marks a return to the Champions League for United, which has not qualified for the competition since its disappointing showing in the 2023-24 season.
- Manchester United CEO Ramin Hasanov and former Academy coach Valdas Dambrauskas, who worked for the club around 20 years ago, have ties to Azerbaijan, adding an interesting dimension to the match. Dambrauskas, now coaching Sabah, has an intriguing story, having once worked for United’s Soccer Schools across the UK and internationally.
- Manchester United’s match against Sabah on Thursday, Sept. 10, at Old Trafford is set for 8 p.m., with the team looking to respond positively after conceding an equaliser to Everton in their last match. The match is a far cry from their upcoming meeting with Manchester City, but Michael Carrick remains optimistic about their chances in Europe.
- The match saw Manchester United dominate with 44 shots, leading to a 5-0 victory, with JJ Gabriel scoring a hat-trick. Despite the lopsided scoreline, the match highlighted United’s need to improve their performance, with a sloppy pass from Benjamin Sesko causing an attack to break down. The BBC Sport Manchester United reporter at Old Trafford, Simon Stone, noted the team’s strong performance, particularly in terms of shot count.
- The match also featured notable players from the B-List, including Leny Yoro, and saw changes to the starting lineup, with Matheus Cunha and others making significant contributions. The victory sets the stage for United’s next challenge in the Champions League, with the team looking to build on this performance as they face tougher opponents in the coming weeks.
What's still developing
- Today’s match, meanwhile, marks something of a fairytale for tournament debutant Sabah as it takes to the field at one of soccer’s most iconic stadiums.
- Sabah are in fourth place in the domestic Azerbaijan Premier League table, during the early stages of the campaign, and have a game in hand on leaders Johor.
- Man United may have made a slow start to the Premier League, with only four points to show from their first three games, but Michael Carrick is optimistic for their chances in Europe.
- There is a question mark as to who will start at left-back for Man United tonight, with Luke Shaw a potential doubt.
- An opener against the champions of Azerbaijan, Sabah, may be a far cry from some of his meetings with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and AC Milan, but Carrick hopes it is the start of something in the Champions League.
- I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on the Azeri champions but Rwanda international (and Man United fan) Joy-Lance Mickels starts on the wing after hitting a hat-trick in a 5-0 thrashing of Zira at the weekend, while Serbian striker Veljko Simic is up top.
- So it’s four changes from the XI that started the weekend’s 2-2 draw with Everton Man United XI: Lammens; Mazraoui, Yoro, Martinez, Dorgu; Tielemans, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko Here we go.
- Sabah are appealing for a handball inside the penalty box but it would be harsh.