This is the big one.
Manchester United return to the Champions League on Thursday night when Sabah FK visit Old Trafford for the first competitive meeting between the two clubs.
It is a fixture United will be expected to win, and comfortably. Sabah are making their first appearance in the league phase of the competition, while United are returning to Europe’s premier competition after a two-year absence.
There is, however, a little more to Sabah’s story than their unfamiliar name might suggest.
The Azerbaijani side were only founded in September 2017, meaning they have reached the Champions League in just their ninth year of existence. They are the youngest club ever to reach the league phase or group stage of the competition, according to UEFA, having risen rapidly through the Azerbaijani football pyramid since their formation.
Sabah finished second in the Azerbaijan Premier League in 2022/23 to qualify for Europe for the first time, won their first major trophy in 2025 and then followed that up by winning their first league title last season. They also retained the Azerbaijan Cup, completing a domestic double under Valdas Dambrauskas.
The Azerbaijani sider entered the Champions League in the first qualifying round and had to come through four rounds to reach the league phase. The New Saints and KuPS were beaten before a two-legged tie against Danish champions Aarhus and then a dramatic play-off against Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
The latter looked to have gone against them when they lost the first leg 2-1 and then fell behind twice in the return fixture. A 94th-minute goal from Tellur Mutallimov kept Sabah’s hopes alive before they eventually won 5-2 after extra-time on the night and 6-4 on aggregate.
They have therefore already played eight Champions League matches this season before arriving at Old Trafford.
That experience should not be confused with Premier League-level quality, but it does mean Sabah will not be walking into this competition for the first time on Thursday. They have spent the summer earning their place here.
Kick-off is at 8pm on Thursday, with the game live in the UK on TNT Sports.
Manchester United Team News
The main selection question for Michael Carrick will be how much he rotates with the Manchester derby following on Sunday.
United’s schedule is not ideal, with City having an additional two days to prepare for the derby, and Carrick has already acknowledged that the Thursday-to-Sunday turnaround is not something he would have chosen.
Luke Shaw missed training on Wednesday, although Carrick indicated that the decision was to give him a designated rest day to help manage his workload rather than a new injury. Nousair Mazraoui or Patrick Dorug are viable alternatives if Shaw is not considered ready to start.
Amad, Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt remain unavailable, while Carlos Baleba is still working his way back from the ankle problem that has delayed his United debut.
The attack gives Carrick more options. Bryan Mbeumo has started the season well from a productivity standpoint, Marcus Rashford has provided the width United lacked at Hull and Benjamin Šeško scored his first goal for the club in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Everton.
Bruno Fernandes remains the obvious starting point in the number ten role after his hat-trick against Ipswich, despite a less flattering performance that followed away to Everton.
Carrick could afford to make changes with the derby in mind, but the Champions League opener is also an opportunity to build some confidence after dropping points at Everton. United should have enough depth to make changes without weakening the side to the point where Sabah are given encouragement.
Sabah Team News
Dambrauskas has a largely settled side after guiding them through the qualifying rounds and into the league phase.
There are a few players worth keeping an eye on, including Polish international left-back Tymoteusz Puchacz and winger Joy-Lance Mickels, who scored during the Champions League play-offs.
Sabah’s manager and his unique backstory is perhaps more interesting than any outfield player in the squad however:
Dambrauskas began his coaching career in England with London Tigers in the ninth tier of English football and worked his way through a number of European leagues before eventually arriving at Sabah. His route to the Champions League has included spells in Lithuania, Latvia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus and Hungary.
Before all this however, Dambrauskas won £1,000 on the Lithuanian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2002, money which helped him pursue his ambition of becoming a football coach in England. He never played professional football himself, and is now preparing to manage a Champions League game at Old Trafford.
Recent Form
United’s opening three league games have produced a disappointing four points, given the context. The opening day 2-0 defeat at Hull was followed by the impressive 5-2 win over Ipswich, before Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Everton, courtesy of a 96th minute sucker-punch equaliser from Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
The Ipswich game remains the best example of what Carrick wants his side to look like. United moved the ball more quickly, Rashford provided width, Kobbie Mainoo helped carry possession through midfield and Fernandes was able to receive the ball in areas where he could influence the game.
The Everton performance was more difficult to judge. United created plenty of chances and were arguably unfortunate not to win, but conceding twice after taking the lead again highlighted the lack of control which has been a problem in the opening weeks.
Sabah come into the match with considerably more European football behind them this season, having won six of their eight Champions League matches and finished last season as Azerbaijani champions, nine points clear of Qarabağ. Their domestic success was built on a free-flowing attacking style under Dambrauskas, with Sabah going unbeaten for 33 games during the campaign.
United need to move the ball quickly
Sabah are likely to defend for long periods and United will have to find ways of moving them around, and this is where the width provided by Rashford and Mbeumo will be important. United were much better against Ipswich when the two wide players held their positions and created space for Fernandes and Mainoo to operate centrally.
Against Sabah, United cannot afford to allow the game to become a slow sequence of passes across the back four followed by crosses into a packed penalty area.
The quicker they can move the ball from side to side and get their attacking players facing the defence, the more opportunities should appear.
Fernandes should have space to influence the game
Sabah will know where United’s main creative threat comes from, but stopping Fernandes is easier said than done. His hat-trick against Ipswich showed how dangerous he can be when he is able to receive the ball around the edge of the box, and United should have enough possession to give him plenty of opportunities to do the same here.
Mainoo and whoever partners him in the midfield (assuming he starts) will also be important in moving the ball through midfield rather than simply playing around Sabah’s defensive block.
If United can get Fernandes, Mbeumo and Rashford receiving the ball in the final third with enough intent and frequency, the quality difference should eventually tell.
United cannot switch off when they lose possession
United’s full-backs are likely to spend much of the game in advanced positions, leaving space for Sabah to attack if possession is lost in the wrong areas. The Azerbaijani outfit have already shown during qualifying that they are capable of threatening on the counter-attack, and their confidence will only grow if United give them opportunities to run at an exposed defence.
If United score early, Sabah will have to change their approach and the game should become much more comfortable. If they remain level for an hour, the pressure will begin to build and every misplaced pass will give the visitors more belief.
Predicted XI
Lammens
Dalot, Yoro, Martínez, Mazraoui
Mainoo, Santos
Mbeumo, Fernandes, Rashford
Šeško
There will almost certainly be some rotation with the Manchester derby in mind, although Carrick should still be able to field a team with enough quality to take control of the game.
Predicted Score
Sabah’s rise is one of the better stories in this season’s Champions League. Nine years after the club was founded, they are champions of Azerbaijan and have fought through four qualifying rounds to earn a night at Old Trafford. Their manager started coaching in the ninth tier of English football and has now reached the Champions League with one of Europe’s youngest clubs.
While this is a story that commands respect, United should on paper have no trouble getting the job done at Old Trafford. Grimsby away last season comes to mind as a lesson in how not to manage games like these.
United’s defeat at Blundell Park last season was another fixture where the difference between the two clubs should have made the result a formality. Instead, United were 2-0 down inside half an hour, relying on late goals from Mbeumo and Harry Maguire to take the game to penalties and eventually lost 12-11. Ruben Amorim described his side as “completely lost” afterwards.
The Grimsby defeat did not alone cause what followed, but it was difficult to ignore how much it set the tone for the season. United had entered the campaign hoping to build some momentum and instead produced another performance which raised questions about the team’s mentality, intensity and ability to deal with an opponent they were expected to beat.
Sabah are obviously a different opponent and this is a different competition, but there is a similar responsibility on United here. The Azerbaijani champions deserve credit for reaching this stage and should not be underestimated, but the level of opposition means there can be no excuse for United failing to impose themselves.
After the disappointment at Everton, this is an opportunity to start the Champions League campaign properly and build some momentum before the derby on Sunday, and United should have enough quality to win the game without needing to play at their best.
