United’s 4-0 Champions League win masks Sabah’s resilience, Carrick says

Manchester United opened their Champions League campaign with a 4-0 victory over Sabah of Azerbaijan at Old Trafford on 13 September 2026. The result delivered the club’s first clean sheet of the season, though manager Michael Carrick stressed the match was more demanding than the scoreline suggested.

Sabah’s tactical discipline earns praise

Carrick credited Sabah as “a difficult team to play against”, highlighting their reliance on short passing and inter-player coordination. He noted they consistently forced United to work hard to regain possession — a detail he underscored while assessing the match’s rhythm and intensity.

Shaw’s absence was precautionary, not medical

Left-back Luke Shaw did not feature in the squad despite being fully fit. Carrick confirmed there is “no serious injury” involved. Instead, the omission followed muscle cramps that caused Shaw to be substituted during United’s previous fixture against Everton. “It is a little bit about managing his minutes,” Carrick told the Mirror.

He elaborated: “We did not want to take a risk with him, and we tried to handle his situation carefully, and we will see how he is over the next few days.” The decision aligns with preparations for the upcoming Manchester derby against Manchester City.

Dorgu seizes starting role, earns man-of-the-match

Patrick Dorgu started at left-back in Shaw’s place and delivered a standout performance. He assisted Matheus Cunha for United’s opening goal and contributed to the defensive structure that secured the clean sheet. UEFA named him man of the match.

“It was good. I really thank God for giving me the chance to play in the Champions League. I am very happy with my performance, and even happier that the team took the three points and started our Champions League campaign,” Dorgu said. He added: “We conceded a lot of goals in the last two matches, so it was good to regain confidence before the derby at the weekend.”

Amass enters late as Carrick rotates youth

With the result secured, Carrick substituted Dorgu in the closing minutes and introduced defender Harry Amass at left-back. Amass had been omitted entirely from United’s squad for the 2-2 Premier League draw with Everton earlier that week.

Carrick on the team’s overall display

“It is good to keep a clean sheet and secure the win,” Carrick said. “I think some of what we produced going forward was excellent, and there were periods when we played very good football, and we were dangerous in transitions.”

He reiterated: “The scoreline looks comfortable, but it was not like that the whole time. I think we produced a lot of good things tonight, and that gave us this result.”