Man Utd vs. Sabah: Preview, Predictions and Lineups
After a two-year absence, Manchester United are back in the Champions League and they’re starting their league phase campaign against debuting club Sabah.
The visitors will become just the second Azerbaijani team after Qarabağ to feature in this competition, having only been established in 2017. They claimed their first national championship last season, and were forced to run the gauntlet over the summer to secure a league phase berth.
Sabah endured three qualifying rounds and a playoff with Hapoel Be’er Sheva to make it, and Old Trafford is quite the amphitheatre for the rookies to make their bow.
The Theatre of Dreams will be expectant on Thursday, given Manchester United’s recent absence from Europe’s top table. The Red Devils will hope to do themselves justice on the biggest stage after a third-place Premier League finish last term.
Michael Carrick has the tricky task of competing on multiple fronts in 2026–27, a challenge he wasn’t confronted with while interim manager, and United haven’t started the new season particularly well. Four points from their opening three Premier League games may not look a complete disaster, but United have faced weak opponents and there’s certainly scope to improve.
Man Utd vs. Sabah Prediction
Red Devils Cruise on Champions League Return
Sabah will savor this occasion, and Man Utd will hope to stroll to victory. It‘s certainly a nice start to the competition on paper, but the visitors have shown throughout the summer that they’re made of steely stuff.
Manager Valdas Dambrauskas, once of ’Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ fame, will become the first Lithuanian to coach in the Champions League on Thursday, and it’ll take an almighty effort for the debutants to steal a result from the Red Devils’ grasp, even if the hosts surrendered two leads at Everton on Sunday.
Sabah frustrating Man Utd shouldn’t be out of the realms of possibility, and Carrick may have one eye on Sunday’s Manchester derby. However, the gap in quality is vast, and this is an occasion for United themselves. They’re back in the big time!
- England vs. Azerbaijan: This is Man Utd’s first meeting with an Azerbaijani opponent, and English clubs have had no issues against them over the years. In major European competitions, an English team has never lost to one from Azerbaijan (W10, D1).
- Rejuvenated Rashford: Marcus Rashford was arguably the best player on the pitch at Everton on Sunday, and although he’s been an injury concern this week, the Englishman is set to be fit for Thursday’s game. A first goal since his reintegration is on the cards here, with Rashford involved in 25 goals in 48 Champions League outings.
- Sabah’s inexperience: The visitors will certainly be fearless, but experience counts in this competition, and Sabah’s roster is bereft of elite-level exposure. Only one player at Dambrauskas’ disposal has appeared in this competition more than once.
Prediction: Man Utd 3–0 Sabah
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Sabah
Man Utd host cross-city rivals Manchester City at the weekend, so Carrick is bound to make changes from Sunday’s starting lineup at Everton.
He’s likely to be forced into one at leftback, with Luke Shaw’s workload needing to be managed. Instead of utilizing the right-footed Noussair Mazraoui on the wrong side, Carrick could be aggressive and deploy Patrick Dorgu in Shaw’s place.
Rashford has trained as normal ahead of Thursday’s bout, shaking off a knock from Sunday’s draw. Carrick also said Benjamin Šeško is now “close” to making the starting lineup, having missed all of preseason due to a shin injury and only featuring as a substitute since the real action began.
There could be rotation in midfield and at the heart of United’s defense, with the hosts currently without Matthijs de Ligt, Carlos Baleba, Manuel Ugarte and Amad Diallo.
Man Utd predicted lineup vs. Sabah (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Dorgu; Mount, Santos; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Rashford; Šeško.
Sabah Predicted Lineup vs. Man Utd
Sabah have no injury concerns of note heading into Thursday’s match, and Dambrauskas is unlikely to deviate away from 4-2-3-1.
There’s little Champions League experience on the visitors’ roster, although winger Veljko Simić did make five appearances for Red Star Belgrade during the 2018–19 campaign.
Elsewhere, 32-year-old Joy-Lance Mickels is poised to become the first Rwandan to feature in this competition, while right back Akim Zedadka is an Algeria international.
Sabah predicted lineup vs. Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Pokatilov; Zedadka, Solvet, Daşdemirov, Puchacz; Rakhmonaliev, Lepinjica; Simić, Isaev, Parris; Mickels.
What Time Does Man Utd vs. Sabah Kick Off?
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Old Trafford
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 10
- Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
- Referee: Willy Delajod (FRA)
- VAR: Jérôme Brisard (FRA)
How to Watch Man Utd vs. Sabah on TV
Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United States | Paramount+, DAZN USA |
United Kingdom | TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, HBO Max |
Mexico | TNT Sports, Max Mexico |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
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