Manchester United hosts Sabah in Champions League opener

A team called Sabah showing up on the Old Trafford fixture list already raises eyebrows. But there's something even more eye-catching: it arrives in Manchester with a perfect record in its own league and having thrashed opponents 5-2 in the playoffs to reach the main stage of the Champions League. So this is no pushover.

United, on the other hand, needs this match for different reasons. Things aren't going badly, but there's no real confidence either. This Thursday, September 10, United hosts Azerbaijan's Sabah in the opening matchday of the league phase, with the clear goal of starting off with a win and shaking off that sense of fragility that's been following the club around in the Premier League.

Kickoff for South American audiences is set for 4:00 PM (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay) and 2:00 PM (Ecuador, Colombia, Peru), with the match available through Disney+'s Premium plan.

How both teams arrive

United had been having a solid stretch against Everton, seemingly on track for a second straight Premier League win, until a late goal left it with a 2-2 draw that still stings. The Old Trafford side currently sits eleventh with just 4 points, a position that would make anyone uneasy given this club's history in Europe.

Sabah, on the other side, hasn't just been winning every match in the Azerbaijani league (three games, three wins), it also had to survive four rounds of playoffs to reach the Champions League league phase. In that decisive tie, the club thrashed Hapoel Be'er Sheva 5-2, proof that it isn't traveling to Manchester just to make up the numbers.

Names to watch on the pitch

For United, Bruno Fernandes continues to pull the strings, with Kobbie Mainoo carrying more and more weight in midfield. Up front, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko are in good scoring form and represent the home side's main threat.

Sabah has in Joy Lance Mickels its top offensive reference, with eight goals already this season, no small number for a club making its debut at this stage of the continental competition. Add to that Christian Nwachukwu, a new signing this year who settled in quickly and already has two goals and an assist for his new club.

United knows a stumble would leave it in a tough spot in a league phase where there's no room to give away points later on. Sabah, meanwhile, travels with its hopes fully intact of pulling off an upset in a setting like Old Trafford, a stage that rarely comes around for a club with its recent history in European competitions.