Man United vs. Sabah: Watch as Matheus Cunha scores first ever Champions League goal to give Michael Carrick perfect start

Matheus Cunha scored his first ever goal in the Champions League to open the scoring for Manchester United against Sabah on Thursday.

After a difficult start to the Premier League season, Michael Carrick would have been looking forward to his first game in UEFA's top competition.

Sabah were embarking on their first ever campaign in the tournament, so few predicted that they would have the necessary defensive resilience to hold out at Old Trafford.

Cunha managed to unlock their defence in the 27th minute, latching onto the end of a cross from left-back Patrick Dorgu to tap home.

That gave United an early lead and calmed nerves inside Old Trafford after a relatively slow start to the game, and the goal was significant for Cunha as it was his first ever in the Champions League.

Matheus Cunha opens the scoring for Manchester United with his first ever Champions League goal ?

? Watch live on TNT Sports & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/ZDQBbEfizq

The importance of the goal for Cunha should not be understated given his displays for the club have been mixed since joining in the summer of 2025.

Cunha has started on the left for much of his time at Old Trafford, but he has often struggled to influence play when isolated out wide.

The presence of Drogu as an overlapping left-back allowed him to move into more central areas, and he has proven to be an effective presence when positioned closer to goal.

Considering Carrick's squad was not reinforced with the arrival of a left-winger, Cunha has to prove that he can consistently produce in the final third, especially if he wants to keep his place ahead of Marcus Rashford.

Matheus Cunha has scored his first-ever Champions League goal ?‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/hlf3AOKNIo

The Red Devils took a 3-0 lead into the half-time interval, so dropping points at this stage of the match would be one of the worst collapses in Champions League history.

However, United must win by at least six goals to go level with Paris Saint-Germain in first place in the table, though given PSG scored six goals against Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday, Carrick's side would have to keep a clean sheet to go ahead of the French club.

A place in the top two guarantees all second legs will be played at home in the knockouts, so increasing goal difference now could be vitally important for United.

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