Champions League: Arjen Robben and Wayne Rooney double for Bayern and United

English club Manchester United capped their return to the UEFA Champions League after a two-year absence with a convincing 4-0 victory over their modest Azerbaijani opponents, Sabah, in the final match of the first round of the new unified group stage.

At Old Trafford, United secured their win in the first half thanks to a brace from Brazilian Matheus Cunha and a goal from Portuguese captain Bruno Fernandes (42nd minute), before Slovenian striker Benjamin Šeško added another (45th minute). In the second half, Argentine defender Lisandro Martínez scored the fourth goal (68th minute).

Manager Michael Carrick guided United to their first victory in three years, since they lost 1-0 at home to Bayern Munich in the group stage on December 12, 2023, which saw them finish bottom of their group and exit the prestigious competition under the old format.

Sabah, founded in 2017, became the second Azerbaijani club after Qarabağ to participate in the premier continental tournament. They won their first domestic title last season and endured a grueling and challenging summer campaign to secure their place in the unified group stage for the first time in their history, navigating three qualifying rounds and a playoff (eight qualifying matches in total).