Sesko soars as Manchester United surge past Sabah on Champions League return

It was a night for romance given the astonishing story that Sabah brought with them to Old Trafford for their Champions League debut. This is a club that did not even exist a decade ago and nobody saw their bolt to the title in Azerbaijan coming last season; in 2024-25, they had finished 41 points off the top. The job that their manager, Valdas Dambrauskas, has done since taking over in the summer of last year is extraordinary.

It was also a night for cold, hard reality. Manchester United were back in Europe’s elite competition after a two-year hiatus and in need of something to soothe them after the trauma of their last-gasp coughing up of two points in Sunday’s Premier League draw at Everton. And ahead of the extremely serious business of Sunday’s derby here against Manchester City. They got it on the back of a first-half performance that burned slowly before catching fire.

Sabah were game. United were clinical. It was Matheus Cunha who broke the deadlock midway through the first-half and the defining moments came at the end of the period when Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko sent United into half-time with a three-goal cushion. Lisandro Martínez added the fourth late on. It was a case of job done for Michael Carrick, no wobbles. Now for City.

United had wanted to put their best foot forward when they heard the Champions League aria after the chaos and embarrassment of their previous involvement in the competition. Erik ten Hag was the manager in 2023-24 and his team finished bottom of their group with four points, starting and ending with losses to Bayern Munich. It was what happened in between times against Galatasaray and Copenhagen that still causes a few shudders. It was a period when United panicked uncontrollably when they had a lead. When the defensive gifts from them came in crazy clusters.

Carrick took no chances with his starting XI. There was minimal rotation in the midfield and front line, save for a first start of the season for Sesko in the No 9 position. It was easy to think that the manager wanted to groove Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo in central midfield ahead of the City game.

United looked to Bruno Fernandes to get them going. As always. There were intelligent runs from him; incision about his passes, that wonderful disguise on some of them. The breakthrough goal stemmed from him chasing a high ball over the top that looked like a lost cause only for him to keep it in play. It was what happened next that quickened United’s pulses. When Sabah gave the ball away cheaply to Bryan Mbeumo, United moved quickly over to the left. Patrick Dorgu crossed and Cunha’s finish was clean.

Sabah lined up in a 4-3-3 formation; no bus parking. They wanted to ask questions of a United defence that had a makeshift feel about it. There was assurance on the ball from them, the desire to carry it forward. And a huge chance in the 35th minute when Kaheem Parris crossed to the back post. Joy-Lance Mickels was clear of Noussair Mazraoui only to put the header wide. The angle was not favourable. It did not entirely excuse him.

Sabah were harshly treated by the half-time scoreline, even though United played on the front foot and created openings. It was the one-two punch in the closing stages of the first period that changed everything. Fernandes – who else? – made a sidefoot finish look easy after Tielemans had burst on a Cunha pass inside, spun and teed him up. The third followed a first time pass by Fernandes into Mbeumo, who got Sesko clean though. The Sabah backline was high. Sesko went around the goalkeeper to score. He never looked like missing.

There was a lovely scene 90 minutes before kick-off when some of the Sabah players wandered around the pitch, the stadium virtually empty, phones out to capture the quiet before the storm, the sheer scale of Old Trafford. They wore wide smiles. They were determined not to be overawed when it got started. The performance of the strolling central midfielder, Ivan Lepinjica, was certainly impressive. They were just too loose at the back.

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United played some slick stuff at times, Mainoo and Fernandes ever involved. When Carrick’s pass-and-move game clicks, it is easy to feel the possibility. Imposing it against the higher-profile teams is the name of the game. Starting against City.

Carrick introduced Mason Mount at half-time for his first football of the season, Tielemans coming off, his work done. He could be pleased with his impact. Carrick was always going to withdraw other likely starters against City, such as Mainoo. Sesko came off with him on 64 minutes and was warmly applauded. After his goal at Everton on Sunday, has he done enough to make the XI for the derby?

United controlled the second half. The jeopardy was long gone. The fourth goal summed up Sabah’s travails in their defensive third. It was a scooped free-kick by Fernandes for Joshua Zirkzee, on as a substitute, and when his back-heel hit Aden McCarthy, the Sabah goalkeeper, Stas Pokatilov, lost his bearings, the ball caught under his feet. It was a tap-in for Martínez. The substitute, Orphe Mbina, headed high for Sabah at the very end. There was to be no fairytale goal.