That Manchester United were going to take care of business in their Champions League opener was rarely, if ever, in doubt. Even before Matheus Cunha turned home the first of three first-half goals that broke the resistance of Azerbaijan champions Sabah, the gulf in talent was clearly too great.
The gulf between these sides was typified by the fourth goal of this 4-0 win. Bruno Fernandes' cheekily lobbed a free kick over the defensive line, Joshua Zirkzee met it with a back heel and Sabah goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov wrapped himself in cartoonish knots searching for a ball that had landed between his feet. Lisandro Martinez will never score an easier goal. This season at least, United may well not play an easier opponent. Football is a low-scoring, high-variance sport but even so, a team with a lower ELO rating than Leicester City will do well to keep the scoreline respectable.
Sabah will feel they did that and will wonder what might have been if that one moment had broken their way. Kaheem Parris had been giving Patrick Dorgu a few difficulties in the first half and his quick feet earned him the space to hang a cross up at the back post. Joy-Lance Mickels met it well enough and there was just enough space between Senne Lammens and his post for the ball to squirm in. Instead, the header swished into the side-netting and Sabah's best chance for an historic goal was gone.
Whatever the result, a goal at the Theatre of Dreams would surely have made the journey more than worth it for the 500 visiting fans in Old Trafford's away end. It would not have led to much more. If a team like Sabah is to pull off an upset when so overmatched, it demands a level of organization on and off the ball that they could not deliver.
A half-opening for a counter instead saw Parris roll the ball carelessly into midfield. What had been five behind the play for United instead became overwhelming numbers in the Sabah box, Patrick Dorgu crossing well for Cunha to flick in his first Champions League goal.
Given the dominance United had enjoyed, that goal would eventually have come with or without Sabah's help but the first 26 minutes did follow a familiarly disappointing trend for Michael Carrick this season. All the possession and territory they had was not deployed with any great authority, too many sideways passes and low-tempo moves meaning that before the opener United had had just six shots worth 0.26 xG. There were a few too many of the hallmarks of Everton and Hull City before Cunha's goal.
Instead United found their oomph as they had done against Ipswich. In the closing minutes of the first half, Carrick's men found their zip. Perhaps that is easier against Sabah than it will be anyone else this season, Rahman Dasdamirov the chief architect of Benjamin Sesko's goal with a horrible misjudgement of the offside trap.
Equally better teams than Sabah will have no answer for the move that delivered United's second, Dorgu feeding Cunha and continuing a purposeful run on the overlap. That made space for Youri Tielemans inside, a first-time flick in the box then finding Fernandes to roll in.
Would Manchester City be one of those teams unable to quell Fernandes and company? That remains to be seen but Carrick can at least approach Sunday's derby safe in the knowledge that his side had an easier run of things 48 hours after their rivals began their Champions League campaign. Tielemans, Sesko, Dorgu, Bryan Mbeumo and Kobbie Mainoo all had their feet up long before the Old Trafford faithful started trickling away. Those on the field got through without a knock or niggle. That really was all that was required tonight.
