Manchester United’s return to the Champions League arena pits them first up against Sabah FK, a team founded in 2017.
The Azerbaijani side’s rise over the past few years has been nothing short of extraordinary, and a match at Old Trafford is quite the reward.
But for Michael Carrick and his men, it is all about putting the visitors’ fairytale story to one side and getting on with the job of collecting three precious points in the 2026-27 League Phase.
Check out our full preview for Thursday evening’s contest below, and we have picked out some betting online tips based on NetBet Sport’s latest Champions League odds.
And if your bet on this fixture – or indeed any other Champions League fixture – is coming in with time still left to play, remember that our Cash Out feature allows you to collect potential winnings before the full-time whistle is blown.
Where can I watch Manchester United vs Sabah FK in the UK?
Manchester United vs Sabah FK will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm UK time.
Manchester United vs Sabah FK Preview
Recent results
United’s start to the Premier League season has been mixed at best. A shock 2-0 defeat to Hull was followed by a 5-2 thrashing of Ipswich, before a dramatic 2-2 draw at Everton on the weekend. The Red Devils looked firmly on course for a crucial 2-1 away victory, only for a 96th-minute stunner from Ainsley Maitland-Niles to spark wild scenes of celebration at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Sabah FK’s Champions League journey began in the first round of qualifiers, where they beat TNSFC 4-1 on aggregate. A 3-0 aggregate victory over KuPS followed, before a convincing 5-2 success vs AGF over the course of two legs. Then in the final round of qualifiers, Sabah flexed their footballing muscles to beat Hapoel Be’er Sheva 5-2 on aggregate and book a spot in the League Phase. Domestically, Sabah have won their first three matches of the top-flight season in Azerbaijan, most recently defeating Zira 5-0 on home soil.
Head-to-head record
This is the first meeting between Manchester United and Sabah FK in any competition.
Team news
Amad Diallo, Matthijs de Ligt, Carlos Baleba and Manuel Ugarte are ruled out for Man Utd, while Marcus Rashford is also a doubt after picking up a knock vs Brighton.
Sabah FK reportedly have minimal injury issues to contend with, a welcome boost for manager Valdas Dambrauskas. Khayal Aliyev is set to be the only absentee. Veljko Simic is the player United need to watch out for, because the Serbian forward scored six times in the Champions League qualifying rounds!
Manchester United vs Sabah FK Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Unsurprisingly, Manchester United are huge, huge favourites to claim the win on Matchday 1, the Red Devils priced as low as 1.11 A victory for Sabah FK is at long odds of 26.00, while the draw is 7.00.
Manchester United vs Sabah FK Betting Tips
Both teams to score – Yes @ 1.84
Despite the fact Sabah FK are at such long odds to win, backing them to join United on the scoresheet still looks a good bet. The Red Devils conceded twice in all previous games this season, while Sabah scored 18 goals in their last six matches across all competitions.
Total goals – Over 3.5 @ 1.57
But while we are tipping the BTTS market above, United should win this clash by a considerable margin. The likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko could have a field day against a team on Champions League debut, especially if the hosts score early. Lest we forget, the Red Devils scored five times vs Ipswich in their previous Old Trafford outing!
Anytime goalscorer – Bryan Mbeumo @ 1.85
Speaking of Mbeumo, we are slightly surprised to see the Cameroon forward close to evens to score anytime in the match. The ex-Brentford man netted against both Ipswich and Everton, taking him to four goals in his last five competitive outings. Backing Bryan therefore looks a solid bet.
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