Michael Carrick’s side wasted little time settling into European competition, producing a dominant first-half display that effectively put the contest beyond Sabah before the break. United eventually completed a comfortable victory with four different players finding the net.
• Manchester United: Matheus Cunha 27', Bruno Fernandes 42', Benjamin Šeško 45', Lisandro Martínez 68'
• Sabah: No goals
The hosts opened the scoring in the 27th minute when Matheus Cunha converted Patrick Dorgu’s cross at the near post. The goal provided a confidence boost for Cunha, who had started the season looking for greater consistency in front of goal.
Sabah briefly threatened an equaliser when Joy-Lance Mickels was presented with a clear opportunity inside the six-yard box, but the forward headed wide. It proved to be a costly miss for the Champions League debutants.
United punished the visitors shortly afterwards. Bruno Fernandes doubled the advantage in the 42nd minute after being played in by Youri Tielemans, before Benjamin Šeško made it 3–0 just three minutes later.
Šeško, making his first start of the season after scoring as a substitute against Everton, looked increasingly dangerous throughout the opening half and gave Carrick another encouraging sign ahead of the Manchester derby.
United continued to control the game after the interval and added a fourth goal in the 68th minute. Lisandro Martínez finished emphatically after a backheel from Joshua Zirkzee created the opportunity, completing a comprehensive victory for the home side.
The clean sheet was another positive for Carrick, while the result gave United an ideal start to their first Champions League campaign since the 2023–24 season. The Red Devils had spent the previous two seasons outside Europe's premier club competition before returning this term.
The victory also provides United with valuable momentum ahead of a much tougher assignment: the Manchester derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday, September 13.
For Sabah, the defeat was a harsh introduction to Champions League football, although their achievement in reaching the league phase remains significant. The Azerbaijani champions progressed through four qualifying rounds to reach the competition's main stage for the first time.