Manchester United 4-0 Sabah Player Ratings: Resounding Performance From The Red Devils Secures Their First Win In The UCL As Sabah Falter In Their First Big Test

Manchester United were returning to the UEFA Champions League after a three-year absence, and they had to show up in front of their home fans against Azerbaijan club Sabah FK, who were playing in their first-ever top-tier European competition.

Sabah fielded eleven players, each from a different nation, which was a remarkable feat in itself. They came with a lot of heart, but the hosts drew first blood due to their own negligence. Kaheem Parris played a wayward pass in a crucial area after charging with the ball, which allowed Manchester United to pick it up and go on the counter.

The ball was played by Bruno Fernandes to Patrick Dorgu on the left flank, who put in a simple cross for Matheus Cunha to tap home from six yards out in the 27th minute. It was like a training routine, which helped the Red Devils find their first goal of the UCL campaign.

The second goal was a team goal all over again, as Cunha played Youri Tielemans in; the Belgian midfielder took it too deep inside the box but had the presence of mind to turn and pass it to skipper Bruno Fernandes, who made a clever run to side-foot it beyond Stas Pokatilov's reach in the 43rd minute.

Just two minutes later, another break for Man United resulted in Bryan Mbeumo playing a lovely through ball for Benjamin Šeško, who rounded the keeper off to score his second goal across all competitions this season.

The last two goals were a result of Sabah's tiredness at the end of the first half, as they just couldn't keep up with United's intensity. The Red Devils focused on keeping the ball in the second half and introduced fresh legs to keep the lead intact.

The fourth came from Lisandro Martínez in the 68th minute, as Bruno Fernandes' clever free kick was backheeled perfectly by Joshua Zirkzee, which left the Sabah goalkeeper and a defender in a haze, allowing Lisandro to pounce first.

Here are the Manchester United vs Sabah Player Ratings.

Key Takeaways

• Patrick Dorgu won the most duels in this match (8).
• One of the best midfielders in the Premier League currently, Bruno Fernandes recorded the most key passes (4).
• Tymoteusz Puchacz had the most successful tackles in this game (5).

Manchester United Player Ratings vs Sabah

Check out the Manchester United Player Ratings from the Manchester United vs Sabah Player Ratings.

Sabah Player Ratings vs Manchester United

See the Sabah Player Ratings from the Manchester United vs Sabah Player Ratings.

Man of the Match

Bruno Fernandes was adjudged Sportsdunia's man of the match from Manchester United vs Sabah.

Worst Performer

Kaheem Parris was the worst of the lot in this UCL fixture.