Vincent Kompany has reportedly admitted that Manchester United are becoming a frightening team to face after Michael Carrick’s side produced a ruthless 4-0 victory over Sabah in their Champions League return, with the Bayern Munich manager said to have been particularly impressed by the quality, intensity and attacking threat displayed by the Red Devils at Old Trafford.
United entered Europe’s elite competition with enormous expectations after a two-year absence, but rather than allowing the pressure of their return to affect them, Carrick’s players responded with one of their most convincing performances of the season.
Manchester United made their return to the Champions League in spectacular fashion, defeating Azerbaijani champions Sabah 4-0 in a match that demonstrated the growing confidence within Carrick’s squad. Matheus Cunha opened the scoring before Bruno Fernandes doubled the advantage, Benjamin Sesko added a third before half-time and Lisandro Martinez completed the rout after the break. The result gave United a perfect start to their European campaign and immediately raised questions about how far this team could go in the competition.
According to the reported assessment attributed to Kompany, what makes Manchester United particularly scary is not simply the number of goals they scored against Sabah, but the variety of ways in which they were able to threaten their opponents. United created danger from wide areas, attacked through the middle, moved the ball quickly in midfield and repeatedly forced Sabah’s defence into uncomfortable situations. For a manager such as Kompany, who understands the demands of elite European football, the performance would have provided plenty of reasons to take Carrick’s team seriously.
United did not immediately overwhelm Sabah from the opening whistle. The visitors actually showed courage during the opening stages and managed to restrict United’s opportunities while attempting to press aggressively. There was even a major opportunity for Joy-Lance Mickels to bring Sabah back into the contest before United eventually took control. But once Cunha opened the scoring, the difference in quality became increasingly obvious.
That transformation is perhaps what makes Carrick’s Manchester United so interesting. The team is not necessarily dependent on scoring early to control a match. Instead, they can remain patient, move the opposition around and wait for the moment when a defensive mistake or individual piece of quality creates an opening. Against Sabah, that moment arrived when Patrick Dorgu delivered a dangerous cross and Cunha reacted quickly to finish from close range.
The Brazilian’s goal was followed by Fernandes’ strike, and suddenly Sabah were facing a completely different Manchester United. The confidence levels increased, the passing became sharper and the movement in the final third became more aggressive. Fernandes then combined with his teammates to produce the second goal before Sesko took advantage of another opening to make it 3-0 before the interval.
For Sesko, the goal was particularly important. The striker had been competing for a regular starting role, and his performance against Sabah gave Carrick another reason to trust him in the biggest matches. After also scoring against Everton as a substitute, the Slovenian now has momentum at precisely the time United need attacking players to step forward.
Kompany’s reported reaction therefore makes sense from the perspective of a manager preparing his own team for Champions League football. United now possess several players capable of changing a match in an instant. Fernandes can unlock a defence with a single pass, Cunha can create danger from wide areas, Sesko provides physical presence and finishing ability, while other attacking players give Carrick different tactical options.
The midfield also deserves enormous credit for the victory. Kobbie Mainoo once again demonstrated why he is considered such an important part of United’s future, while Youri Tielemans provided composure and creativity before being replaced at half-time. United were able to control large periods of the game through their midfield, preventing Sabah from sustaining pressure and allowing the attackers to operate in more advanced positions.
That balance could become extremely important later in the Champions League. European knockout football is often decided by midfield control, and Carrick appears to have several options available to him. The ability to rotate players without completely changing the team’s identity could become a major advantage when the fixtures begin arriving quickly.
Defensively, United also achieved something that will have pleased Carrick enormously: a clean sheet. The manager has previously been concerned about defensive vulnerabilities, and although Sabah did create moments of danger, United eventually kept the visitors scoreless. The clean sheet will provide additional confidence before the much more difficult tests that await them.
Martinez’s fourth goal was particularly symbolic because it came after a chaotic moment in the Sabah defence. United continued pressing and were rewarded when the ball fell kindly inside the area. Martinez reacted quickest to complete the scoring and turn the evening into a convincing 4-0 statement.
However, the biggest challenge for Manchester United will now be proving that this was not simply a case of beating an inexperienced Champions League newcomer. Sabah were playing in the competition’s main stage for the first time and had already made history simply by reaching this level. Their journey included four qualifying rounds, making their appearance at Old Trafford a remarkable achievement in itself.
The real examination of Carrick’s team will come against Europe’s established giants. United will eventually have to face opponents capable of matching their intensity and exploiting defensive weaknesses. That is when the question of whether they are genuinely “scary” will be answered.
Yet there is already a noticeable difference in the atmosphere surrounding the club. Manchester United’s return to the Champions League had the potential to become a night of anxiety, particularly given the inconsistent form they had shown domestically. Instead, Carrick’s players delivered a performance that gave supporters genuine reasons to be optimistic.
The timing of the victory is also significant because United are preparing for a Manchester derby. The Champions League performance could provide the psychological boost they need before facing Manchester City. The derby will represent a completely different challenge, but United will enter it knowing that they have just demonstrated their ability to dismantle an opponent with four goals and a clean sheet.
For Carrick, the derby will be an opportunity to show whether his team has truly turned a corner. Beating Sabah was important, but beating or seriously competing with Manchester City would send a much stronger message to the rest of England and Europe.
Kompany’s reported description of United as a frightening opponent therefore adds another layer to what is already becoming an intriguing season. Bayern Munich themselves remain one of the major powers in European football, and Kompany’s team also began their Champions League campaign impressively with a 5-0 victory over Bodo/Glimt.
That makes any reported praise from the Bayern boss particularly interesting. Kompany knows exactly what it takes to compete at the highest level. He also understands that reputation alone is not enough in the Champions League. Teams must possess depth, tactical flexibility and the ability to perform under pressure.
Manchester United are beginning to show signs of possessing those qualities.
The biggest difference compared with previous seasons is perhaps the number of players who now appear capable of contributing decisively. United are not relying on one individual to rescue them every week. Cunha can score, Fernandes can dictate, Sesko can finish, Martinez can contribute from defence and players such as Mainoo, Mbeumo, Dorgu and Tielemans can influence matches in different ways.
That unpredictability can make a team extremely difficult to prepare for.
Opponents cannot simply focus on stopping Fernandes because United have other players capable of deciding matches. They cannot sit deep and expect United to run out of ideas because Carrick has several players who can break defensive lines. And they cannot commit too many players forward because United have the pace and quality to punish them in transition.
That is likely what lies behind the idea that Manchester United are becoming “scary” to play against.
There is still plenty of work to do, however. United’s defence remains an area that stronger opponents will target, and their ability to maintain concentration for 90 minutes will be tested far more severely by elite European teams. The performance against Sabah was encouraging, but it cannot erase the problems that have appeared during the early stages of the season.
Carrick will know this better than anyone.
He will also know that Champions League success is built through consistency rather than one spectacular night. United have made the perfect start, but the objective now must be to continue improving. Every match will demand more from the players, and every opponent will arrive with a different tactical plan.
Nevertheless, the Sabah victory has changed the conversation around Manchester United.
Before the game, much of the discussion was about whether Carrick’s team was ready to return to Europe’s biggest stage. After the game, people were asking whether United could actually make a serious run in the competition.
That is a significant change.
Manchester United supporters have waited a long time to see their club competing among Europe’s elite again. They now have a team that appears capable of causing problems for opponents, a manager whose tactical ideas are becoming clearer and a group of attacking players who can punish mistakes.
The 4-0 victory over Sabah will not guarantee Champions League success. It will not make United favourites overnight, and it certainly does not mean they have already reached the level of Europe’s most established giants.
But it has created something that Manchester United have desperately needed: belief.
And if Carrick can turn that belief into consistency, the rest of Europe may soon discover that facing Manchester United is not the comfortable assignment it once appeared to be.
For now, the Red Devils have made their return to the Champions League with four goals, a clean sheet and a warning to their future opponents.
Manchester United are back in Europe.
And according to the reported assessment from Vincent Kompany, they may already be becoming one of the teams nobody wants to face.