Champions League Matchday 1: Manchester United vs Sabah facts

There is a huge contrast in the European experience of Manchester United and Sabah as the teams meet at Old Trafford on Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League.

Previous meetings

This is the clubs' first meeting and neither side has previously faced a team from their opponents' country.

Form guide

Manchester United

This is United's 26th Champions League campaign – an English record – but a first in three seasons. In their most recent, in 2023/24, they were fourth in a section also including Bayern München, Copenhagen and Galatasaray (W1 D1 L4).

The Red Devils' last European campaign ended in a 0-1 defeat by Tottenham in the 2025 UEFA Europa League final in Bilbao.

United were absent from UEFA competition in 2025/26 for the first time since 2014/15 and just the second since 1989/90.

Sabah 

Sabah had never played in the European Cup before this season.

Indeed, this is only the Azerbaijan club's fourth European campaign – all in succession since their 2023/24 debut in the UEFA Conference League. That, like their next two European seasons, ended in that competition's third qualifying round.

Links and trivia

This is Manchester United's 300th European Cup match. They are the first English club to reach the mark.

United were unbeaten in their last UEFA competition league-phase campaign – in the 2024/25 Europa League. They drew their opening three matches before five successive wins.

United won only one of their last seven Champions League group stage games (D2 L4).

The Red Devils have won their last six home European matches, scoring 20 goals at an average of 3.33 per game.

None of United's last 48 games in UEFA competition finished goalless, since a 0-0 home draw against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg in February 2021 (4-0 aggregate).

Sabah have reached a European group stage/league phase for the first time. Qarabağ, in 2017/18 and 2025/26, are the only other team from Azerbaijan to feature in the Champions League proper.

The Owls' first Champions League campaign began in this season's first qualifying round, where they beat Welsh side The New Saints 4-1 on aggregate (2-0 h, 2-1 a). They have subsequently overcome KuPS Kuopio of Finland 3-0 (1-0 h, 2-0 a) and Danish side Aarhus 5-2 (1-2 a, 4-0 h) before defeating Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the play-off round (1-2 a, 5-2 h aet).

Sabah have therefore won six of their eight Champions League matches this season (L2), keeping four clean sheets.

The side from Masazir won their first Azerbaijan league title in 2025/26, also lifting the domestic cup having triumphed for the first time in 2025.

Sabah are one of four clubs to be making their Champions League debuts in the 2026/27 league phase, along with Como, LASK and Viking.