Benjamin Sesko celebrates a goal for Man United - Photo: REUTERS
It was a night filled with romantic emotions, stemming from the magical story Sabah brought to Old Trafford in their first appearance in the Champions League. Participating in this tournament was seen as a "fairy tale" for the team from Azerbaijan.
For Manchester United, this marks their return to Europe's most prestigious competition after a two-year absence. They need a much-needed morale boost after the shock of dropping two crucial points in the final minutes of their 2-2 draw with Everton in the Premier League last weekend. They also need a morale boost ahead of the crucial derby against Manchester City on September 13th.
In this match, Man United still relied on Bruno Fernandes to energize the team's play. As usual, the Portuguese star made intelligent movements and incisive passes, including some extremely subtle tricks to deceive the opponent.
Matheus Cunha's opening goal in the 27th minute also benefited greatly from Bruno Fernandes ' contribution, as he was involved in the "quadrilateral" combination before the Brazilian star finished from close range to find the back of the net against Sabah.
In the 42nd minute, Bruno Fernandes neatly finished from inside the penalty area to double Manchester United's lead. Before that, Benjamin Sesko dribbled past goalkeeper Sabah and shot into an empty net to make it 3-0 in the 45th minute.
Bruno Fernandes also contributed to Manchester United's 4-0 victory in the 68th minute, when he delivered a free kick into the penalty area, creating a scramble that allowed Lisandro Martinez to tap the ball into the net from close range.
With this victory, Michael Carrick's team has had a good start in their "return" to the Champions League and they are ready for the big showdown with their neighbors Man City this weekend.
Results of other notable matches
Bayern Munich - Bodoe/Glimt: 5-0, Como 1907 - RB Leipzig: 4-1, Slavia Prague - Lens: 2-3.