UCL NIGHTMARE: ‘They'll beat us all day’ – Man Utd fan Valdas Dambrauskas confesses after ruthless Sabah 4-0 beating

• The Tactical Breakdown: Valdas Dambrauskas revealed that a massive structural gap between his attacking and defensive units allowed Manchester United to routinely exploit his transition shape.

• The First-Half Collapse: The Azerbaijani debutants put up a brief fight but completely dissolved at the tail end of the first half, conceding catastrophic goals to Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko.

• A Glorious Return: The 4-0 masterclass marked a victorious return to elite European football for Manchester United after a frustrating three-year absence from the competition.

There was absolute heartbreak and tactical disaster at Old Trafford as Azerbaijani debutants Sabah FK were completely torn to shreds by a rampant Manchester United side marking a sensational 4-0 return to the UEFA Champions League (UCL).

The Matchday 1 encounter saw the Red Devils celebrate their return to Europe's elite competition after a three-year absence with absolute dominance, leaving Sabah head coach Valdas Dambrauskas completely devastated. 

Dambrauskas, an avowed childhood Manchester United fan, watched his dream homecoming turn into a total nightmare as Michael Carrick's men ran riot.

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The gulf between the two sides was painfully exposed in front of a rocking Old Trafford crowd.

Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha opened the floodgates in the 27th minute with a lethal, first-time finish at the near post, connecting beautifully with a cross from left-back Patrick Dorgu.

Just before the halftime whistle, the visitors suffered a catastrophic defensive meltdown.

Club captain Bruno Fernandes effortlessly doubled the lead in the 42nd minute with a precise side-footed finish, before Benjamin Sesko struck a dagger into Sabah's hearts in the 45th minute, rounding the goalkeeper after a brilliant Bryan Mbeumo pass to make it 3-0 before the break.

The humiliation was completed in the 68th minute when Lisandro Martínez poked home a fourth following a chaotic penalty-box scramble from a clever set-piece routine.

Speaking to UEFA reporters immediately after the match, a visibly crestfallen but honest Dambrauskas blamed a combination of raw inexperience and tactical indiscipline for the heavy defeat.

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"It was a little bit of inexperience because when we had a chance to play, we tried to have possession and control the game," Dambrauskas confessed. 

"The gap between our attack and defence was too big at times. When we lost the ball, sometimes we still didn't go back into our shape, so they were going to beat us all day long like that."

The Sabah boss could not hide his admiration for United's captain, dropping a massive compliment despite the heavy loss.

Dambrauskas concluded: "I am a proud coach, of course. It is our debut at this level and maybe deep inside we expected a little bit more, so it was a little disappointing the way we conceded the goals, especially those two at the end of the first half."