United's perfect opening win sets up daunting Atletico test

Man United secured a flawless opening to their Champions League campaign with a 4‑0 victory over Sabah at Old Trafford, keeping a 100 per cent record among Premier League clubs and confirming their 300th appearance in the competition, while Youri Tielemans shone and Michael Carrick gained a chance to tweak his side before the upcoming derby.

Tielemans' impact and transfer value

United opened the scoring in the 27th minute when Matheus Cunha finished a cross from Patrick Dorgu. Bruno Fernandes added a second, reported at 42 minutes by one source and 43 minutes by another. Benjamin Sesko completed the half‑hour double and Lisandro Martinez sealed the 4‑0 win in the 68th minute.

Youri Tielemans, who arrived from Aston Villa for a £35 million fee, was instrumental, delivering defence‑splitting passes that created the first two goals. His fee, noted by the report, could have bought the entire Sabah squad twice over. Tielemans earned an 8 rating for his performance.

Sabah (SABAH), hailing from the Masazir district of Azerbaijan with a population of 19,000, only formed a decade ago and fought through four qualifying rounds to reach the group stage. Bookmakers had placed them at 1/10 odds to lose, reflecting their underdog status. The match underscored United’s return to Europe’s elite competition and marked United’s 300th appearance in the Champions League.

Carrick's squad tweaks and future tests

Carrick used the fixture to rotate his squad, resting Luke Shaw after a cramp in the previous weekend’s draw at Everton and leaving Marcus Rashford on the bench following a hamstring strain. Patrick Dorgu started at left‑back, while Benjamin Sesko earned his first start of the season. No substitutions were made during the game.

Before kick‑off Carrick said, “We wanted to change a little bit and freshen things up, but try to get the balance right. We didn’t want to change too many. It’s not easy, as you know, playing in a team with too many changes as well.”

The Thursday night win gives United a cushion before a tougher test away at Atletico Madrid in the Metropolitano next month, and also provides a chance to fine‑tune the side ahead of the Old Trafford derby against Manchester City on Sunday. The timing of the Thursday night game, three days before the derby, meant Carrick could experiment without the pressure of a rival fixture.

The report was filed by CHRIS WHEELER, NORTHERN SPORTS WRITER, on 10 September 2026. In the Spanish version the headline read “El United se da un homenaje…”, highlighting the word El and the capitalised Un.

Until the Champions League anthem echoed around Old Trafford for the first time in nearly three years, the occasion felt like a celebration. Be aware that United’s perfect start and the 100 per cent record among Premier League clubs this week set a high bar for the rest of the campaign.