Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch

Preview for Manchester United v Sabah

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick is relishing their return to the Champions League as they face Sabah at Outdated Trafford on Thursday.

United haven’t performed in Europe’s greatest competitors since exiting the 2023-24 event within the group phases.

A Carrick-inspired upturn of their Premier League fortunes secured a third-placed end and Champions League qualification, with the Crimson Devils set to get their first style of the brand new league section format.

They are going to be heavy favourites to make a robust begin towards Champions League debutants Sabah, the champions of Azerbaijan’s high flight.

Greater challenges lie in await United, who’ve additionally been drawn towards Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Sporting CP, Roma, Como, RB Leipzig and Villarreal.

And Carrick, who has seen his facet make an uneven begin to their Premier League season with 4 factors from three video games, is happy to deal with the duty of main United to the knockout phases for the primary time since 2022.

“We labored arduous to be right here. It’s nice to be right here, massively wanting ahead to the sport and the marketing campaign and attempt to make it so long as we will probably make it,” Carrick instructed a pre-match press convention.

“Large challenges forward and actual incredible video games beginning tomorrow so massively wanting ahead to it.”

United have solely reached two Champions League quarter-finals within the final 15 years, however Carrick is assured that he has a squad able to competing to enhance that report.

He added: “I don’t suppose it’s a form of going, ‘If we get to a sure stage, that’s successful, and if we don’t, it’s not’. We’ve bought to embrace the brand new problem that we face as a gaggle and push to what we will push to. 

“I believe we’re able to doing a little actually good issues on this competitors and going additional down the road on this competitors, after which who is aware of when it will get to that stage. I’m not writing something off, however once more, taking it step-by-step and definitely not getting forward of ourselves, , as a result of some a part of it’s a new expertise for a number of the gamers, and as a gaggle it’s a little bit of a brand new expertise proper at the moment now.

“However the boys are used to enjoying European soccer for probably the most half in numerous competitions and we’ll take that ahead, and we’ve bought a squad that’s robust sufficient to compete.”

In Sabah, United are going through a facet that solely got here into existence in 2017 and has loved a fast rise below Lithuanian coach Valdas Dambrauskas.

Sabah received a dramatic play-off with Hapoel Be’er Sheva to punch their ticket to the league section, and Carrick just isn’t taking them calmly.

“To begin with I believe they’re a really well-coached staff,” mentioned Carrick.

“You possibly can see that fairly clearly, the concepts, the ideas that they’ve. They’ve received a number of soccer matches during the last 12 months or so. Taking part in with a number of confidence.

“You possibly can see the best way they’re enjoying. They take the ball and play via the pitch, they’ve some good connections, press properly as a staff so we’re clearly totally conscious of what we’re up towards and the challenges that we face.”

The UEFA Champions League Desk

Group Information for Manchester United v Sabah

Matthijs de Ligt (again), Manuel Ugarte (knee), Carlos Baleba (ankle), Amad Diallo (ankle) and Tom Heaton (hamstring) are all unavailable for United.

Marcus Rashford got here off with a knock within the 2-2 draw towards Everton however was concerned in coaching on Wednesday.

Sabah haven’t any new harm points for the sport.

Anticipated line-ups for Manchester United v Sabah

Manchester United: Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Martinez, Mazraoui; Santos, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

Sabah: Pokatilov; Solvet, Dashdamirov, Puchacz, Zedadka; Rakhmonaliev, Isaev, Lepinjica, Parris; Mickels, Simic

Latest Kind & Stats for Manchester United v Sabah

• United are set to face an Azerbaijani facet for the primary time ever in European competitors.
• In main European competitors, English groups have by no means misplaced towards sides from Azerbaijan in 11 earlier conferences (W10 D1), with all 11 coming towards Qarabag between 2015-16 and 2025-26.
• United haven’t received their first recreation in any of their final 4 main European seasons (D1 L3) since successful 2-1 away at Paris Saint-Germain of their first recreation of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League.
• United final featured within the Champions League within the 2023-24 marketing campaign, once they had been eradicated within the group stage. The Crimson Devils have received simply certainly one of their final 9 video games within the competitors (D3 L5).
• Sabah will function in a significant European competitors for the primary time of their historical past and turn into simply the second staff from Azerbaijan to play within the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, following Qarabag (eradicated in group stage in 2017-18, reached play-offs in 2025-26).
• This recreation might be 4 years and 291 days since Carrick’s first Champions League recreation as supervisor, in his caretaker spell with United in November 2021 (2-0 win over Villarreal). Solely Gian Piero Gasperini (8y 4d, 2011-19), Vincenzo Montella (6y 350d, 2011-18) and Sergei Semak (5y 182d, 2014-19) have had a much bigger hole between their first two video games.
• Sabah boss Dambrauskas would be the first ever Lithuanian to handle within the Champions League – he has misplaced 5 of his seven main European video games (W1 D1) throughout spells with Ludogorets and Omonia Nicosia. The final Lithuanian participant to function within the Champions League was Deividas Semberas in December 2011 for CSKA Moscow.
• Rashford has been concerned in 25 targets in 48 Champions League appearances (17 targets, 8 assists). Nevertheless, Rashford averages a objective or help extra recurrently not enjoying for United (one each 89 minutes for Aston Villa and Barcelona) than he does whereas enjoying for the Crimson Devils (one each 135 minutes).
• Bruno Fernandes has been concerned in 15 targets in 19 Champions League appearances for United (6 targets, 9 assists), scoring or helping each 100 minutes. Amongst gamers to play 500+ minutes, solely Ruud van Nistelrooy (one each 79 minutes) has scored or assisted extra recurrently.

The place to Watch Manchester United v Sabah: TV and on-line streams

Manchester United v Sabah kicks off at 8:00pm on Thursday. It will likely be broadcast on TNT Sports activities 1 and might be accessible to stream by way of HBO Max. Sky subscribers with a TNT package deal included also can stream the sport by way of Sky Go.

Prediction for Manchester United v Sabah

More durable assessments will await for United within the Champions League, and they need to have the ability to get via this one in comparatively routine style.

Manchester United

2 – 0

Sabah FA

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