The Champions League anthem will be played at Old Trafford on Thursday as Manchester United return to Europe’s top competition for the first time since 2023 under Michael Carrick. But are they ready for what’s coming? Facing Sabah FK may not be the time when we will find out the answer to this question, but it is still the moment United need to show their intentions with a big win after a draw with Everton in their last game.
For Sabah, coming here is an incredible achievement. The club is only nine years old and needs to reach the first qualifying round to reach this stage. It’s unlikely it will all happen at the same time under Lithuanian head coach Valdas Dambraskas, but here we are. In 2002, Danblaskas participated in the Lithuanian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and used the funds he received to move to England and begin his career as a football coach. Now, after stops across Europe, he’s joined the Owls in one of the world’s most historic stadiums.
How to watch Manchester United vs Sabah FK odds
date: Thursday, September 9 | time: 3 p.m. ET
Place: Old Trafford – Manchester, England
live streaming: Paramount+
Odds: Manchester United -900; Draw +900; Sabah FK +2200
While there are many words to describe Manchester United as favorites in the competition, the expansion of the Champions League has allowed teams like Sabah to show why they belong in this competition. This is something Carrick needs to deal with because anything less than an outright victory is unacceptable. With the team under huge pressure, this will be uncharted territory for Carrick, but this is the moment he must conquer to show why United have lifted his interim tag and made him the club’s permanent manager.
“You know, it means a lot. It’s a challenge for the elite and the best players,” Carrick said of United’s return to the Champions League at his pre-match press conference. “For a long time this football club has been used to challenging with the best players, to be the best players. It’s not something that can be taken for granted. We’ve missed out on it for a number of years and now we want it back, so I hope it all comes back.”
Manchester United face a tough draw at the Champions League stage as they face Sabah, Atletico Madrid, Como, Roma, Sporting CP, RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Villarreal. While there are winnable games there, failing to take all three points against Sabah at home will be a concern. With the squad back to fitness, most of Carrick’s players are available as only Amad Diallo, Manuel Ugarte, Carlos Baleba and Matthijs de Ligt are unavailable. The Red Devils need to balance their game in the weekend’s Manchester derby and they must ensure they don’t miss out on this game as Sabah already go into the game with a five-goal win.
This is the first time Manchester United has played against an Azerbaijani team in the history of the Champions League, and it is also an important game. United are hoping to prove they can hang with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal in Europe’s top competition, but their lack of depth and poor set-piece defending will be issues they must overcome to prove their worth. Especially without Diallo on the wing, Marcus Rashford needs to show why he’s playing and translate the form he showed at Barcelona last season.
Bruno Fernandes continued his career after breaking the Premier League assists record last season and was a finalist for the Ballon d’Or with his own plaudits, but he alone cannot get United back to where they want to be. Rotation will be crucial in this game and players will have to step up and prove why they deserve more playing time for the Red Devils when Sabah arrives. If that doesn’t happen, the Owls will be in for an upset and anything short of a win will raise the level of worry at Old Trafford ahead of an already crucial derby.