Man United goes on a scoring spree in its long-awaited return to the Champions League
Matheus Cunha scored Manchester United’s first Champions League goal for nearly three years as European club soccer’s top competition returned to Old Trafford. Brazil international Cunha fired home from close range in the 27th minute against Sabah from Azerbaijan as United went on a first-half scoring spree. United is making its return to the Champions League for the first time since 2023 when it was eliminated in the group stage under former manager Erik ten Hag.
Background: how the league phase works
The Champions League format introduced in 2024/25 puts 36 clubs in a single league table. Each club plays eight different opponents, with four matches at home and four away. A win earns three points and a draw earns one. Because teams face different opponents, a single result does not tell the whole story of a club's position.
The top eight advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing ninth to 24th enter a two-legged knockout play-off; those finishing 25th or lower are eliminated. When following a match report, distinguish the result from its effect on qualification: that depends on the wider table and the fixtures still to come.
Sources and context
ApnewsSource headline and summary supplied via NewsData.io. First collected by NewsJaws on 2026-09-11. This is an automated news brief, not original NewsJaws reporting. Dates reflect the source publication. Feed delays may apply.