Manchester United vs Sabah: Line-ups confirmed for Red Devils’ Champions League return

Manchester United are ready for their return to the Champions League as they face Sabah at Old Trafford tonight.

United have not played in Europe’s biggest competition since exiting the 2023-24 tournament in the group stages.

But a strong finish in the Premier League last term secured a third-placed finish and Champions League qualification, with the Red Devils set to get their first taste of the new league phase format.

They will be heavy favourites to make a strong start against Champions League debutants Sabah, the champions of Azerbaijan’s top flight.

Catch up with all the team news right here on 101GreatGoals.

Manchester United team news

Manchester United starting XI: Lammens, Mazraoui, Martinez, Fernandes, Cunha, Dorgu, Yoro, Tielemans, Mbeumo, Sesko, Mainoo

Manchester United substitutes: Arlow, Mee, Amass, Dalot, Heaven, Maguire, Santos, Mount, Fletcher, Lacey, Rashford, Zirkzee

Sabah team news

Sabah starting XI: Pokatilov, McCarthy, Dashdamirov, Rakhmonaliev, Nwachukwu, Parris, Lepinjica, Mickels, Simic, Puchacz, Zedadka

Sabah substitutes: Ramazanov, Mirzammadov, Khaibulaev, Isaev, Rustamli, Mutallimov, Almedia, Queiroz, Fernandes, Mukhtarov, Mbina

Recent Form & Stats for Manchester United v Sabah

• United are set to face an Azerbaijani side for the first time ever in European competition.
• In major European competition, English teams have never lost against sides from Azerbaijan in 11 previous meetings (W10 D1), with all 11 coming against Qarabag between 2015-16 and 2025-26.
• United haven’t won their first game in any of their last four major European seasons (D1 L3) since winning 2-1 away at Paris Saint-Germain in their first game of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League.
• United last featured in the Champions League in the 2023-24 campaign, when they were eliminated in the group stage. The Red Devils have won just one of their last nine games in the competition (D3 L5).
• Sabah will feature in a major European competition for the first time in their history and become just the second team from Azerbaijan to play in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, following Qarabag (eliminated in group stage in 2017-18, reached play-offs in 2025-26).
• This game will be four years and 291 days since Carrick’s first Champions League game as manager, in his caretaker spell with United in November 2021 (2-0 win over Villarreal). Only Gian Piero Gasperini (8y 4d, 2011-19), Vincenzo Montella (6y 350d, 2011-18) and Sergei Semak (5y 182d, 2014-19) have had a bigger gap between their first two games.
• Sabah boss Dambrauskas will be the first ever Lithuanian to manage in the Champions League – he has lost five of his seven major European games (W1 D1) during spells with Ludogorets and Omonia Nicosia. The last Lithuanian player to feature in the Champions League was Deividas Semberas in December 2011 for CSKA Moscow.
• Rashford has been involved in 25 goals in 48 Champions League appearances (17 goals, 8 assists). However, Rashford averages a goal or assist more regularly not playing for United (one every 89 minutes for Aston Villa and Barcelona) than he does while playing for the Red Devils (one every 135 minutes).
• Bruno Fernandes has been involved in 15 goals in 19 Champions League appearances for United (6 goals, 9 assists), scoring or assisting every 100 minutes. Among players to play 500+ minutes, only Ruud van Nistelrooy (one every 79 minutes) has scored or assisted more regularly.

Where to Watch Manchester United v Sabah: TV and online streams

Manchester United v Sabah kicks off at 8:00pm on Thursday. It will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and will be available to stream via HBO Max. Sky subscribers with a TNT package included can also stream the game via Sky Go.

Prediction for Manchester United v Sabah

Tougher tests will await for United in the Champions League, and they should be able to get through this one in relatively routine fashion.

Match Prediction

Manchester United

2 – 0

Sabah FA