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Manchester United marked their long-awaited return to the UEFA Champions League with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Azerbaijani side Sabah at Old Trafford, spearheading a dramatic night of European action across the continent. Under the direction of manager Michael Carrick, the English giants exhibited clinical finishing and tactical dominance to start their continental campaign on the front foot.
The breakthrough arrived in the 27th minute when forward Matheus Cunha registered his first goal of the season, calmly converting a precise delivery from Patrick Dorgu to relieve early pressure. Despite the opener, the home supporters were briefly unsettled when Sabah came close to exploiting lingering defensive vulnerabilities in United's backline. The Azerbaijani debutants squandered a prime opportunity to equalise when Joy-Lance Mickels headed wide from fewer than five yards out at the far post.
United capitalised on that reprieve and completely dismantled the opposition before the half-time whistle. Team captain Bruno Fernandes doubled the advantage after linking up with midfielder Youri Tielemans, before Benjamin Sesko extended the lead to three. Sesko latched onto an incisive through ball from Bryan Mbeumo, skilfully rounded Sabah goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov, and slid the ball into an empty net.
The second half saw United shift into cruise control while maintaining their attacking threat. The fourth goal arrived midway through the period when Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez reacted quickest to a loose ball, bundling home after substitute Joshua Zirkzee’s clever backheel caused a chaotic rebound off Pokatilov and a defending player.
With the outcome settled, Carrick took the opportunity to manage his squad's energy reserves ahead of Sunday's crucial Manchester derby. The manager handed European debuts to teenage prospects Harry Amass and Shea Lacey, allowing core starters valuable rest while providing young talent with crucial top-level experience.
Reflecting on the comprehensive victory, Sesko highlighted the psychological boost the result provides for both the squad and the supporters. The striker told TNT Sports that scoring multiple goals was vital for fan morale and offered significant motivation for the demanding fixture schedule ahead, particularly regarding physical recovery and focus before the looming local derby.
Elsewhere, German powerhouse Bayern Munich delivered an overwhelming 5-0 thrashing of Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt. Following a tightly contested, goalless opening forty-five minutes, the Bundesliga leaders overwhelmed their opponents in the second half through stellar contributions from Ballon d'Or nominees Michael Olise and Harry Kane.
Jamal Musiala broke the deadlock shortly after the restart, celebrating a deeply emotional milestone with his first goal since recovering from a neurological condition that caused him to collapse during pre-season. Musiala told DAZN that scoring brought pure happiness, adding that his primary objective is to rebuild his performance step by step with ease and joy on the pitch.
Kane soon doubled Bayern’s advantage by powering a header into the net from an Olise free-kick, extending his prolific continental scoring run to eight consecutive Champions League matches. Alphonso Davies added a third with a low strike into the bottom corner after Olise’s corner was only partially cleared by the Norwegian defence.
Olise capped off his exceptional performance by scoring a fine goal seven minutes from the final whistle, shortly before Bodo/Glimt defender Odin Bjortuft received a straight red card. The French forward then added his second of the evening to finalise the five-goal rout against the ten-man visitors.
In northern Italy, Cesc Fabregas’s Como enjoyed an unforgettable debut on the European stage, recording an eye-catching 4-1 victory against RB Leipzig. Although Serbian international midfielder Andrija Maksimovic managed to pull a goal back for the German side, Maximo Perrone struck late to secure the historic win for the Italian hosts.
Meanwhile, French side RC Lens staged an astonishing late turnaround to defeat ten-man Slavia Prague 3-2. The Czech visitors were reduced in numbers following the dismissal of Mikulas Konecny, yet forward Danijel Sturm managed to score twice to put Slavia ahead, including a dramatic strike with only two minutes of normal time remaining. However, Lens snatched victory in stoppage time through consecutive goals from Florian Thauvin and Ruben Aguilar.
The evening's remaining fixtures concluded in 1-1 draws between PSV Eindhoven and Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as Fenerbahce and Roma in Istanbul. The clash in Turkey was marred by off-pitch turmoil when Fenerbahce manager Ismail Kartal was struck by a bottle thrown from the stands. Although Kartal tendered his resignation immediately following the match, club president Aziz Yildirim announced that the board had officially rejected his departure.
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