Manchester United began their return to the Champions League with a 4-0 victory over Azerbaijani champions Sabah at Old Trafford. Matheus Cunha opened the scoring before Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Šeško struck before half-time, with Lisandro Martínez adding the fourth after the interval.

Fernandes’ goal capped another influential European performance from the United captain, who finished the previous Premier League season with a record-equalling 21 assists and was named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year. His contribution was central to United’s qualification campaign, although the club’s broader league statistics should be stated accurately: Michael Carrick’s side finished third, not outside the European places, and earned 71 points.

The 4-0 victory was United’s first Champions League win in almost three years. Carrick’s team controlled the match after taking a three-goal lead into half-time, allowing them to manage the second period and secure three points without facing a sustained threat from the competition debutants.

United’s next league-phase test will be considerably more demanding. They are scheduled to face Atlético Madrid at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on October 13, before meeting Como, Roma, Sporting CP, RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Villarreal in the remaining league-phase fixtures.

The win offers Carrick an encouraging European opening, but it also provides limited evidence of how United will perform against the strongest teams in the competition. The trip to Madrid will offer a more revealing test of the team’s defensive structure, attacking transition and ability to cope with sustained pressure away from Old Trafford.