UEFA Champions League: CSKA Moscow 1 Man. United 4

Manchester United seized control of UEFA Champions League Group A in merciless style on Wednesday night, putting fellow matchday-one victors CSKA Moscow to the sword with Romelu Lukaku's double, Anthony Martial's penalty and a Henrikh Mkhitaryan strike. Konstantin Kuchaev's injury-time reply was scant consolation for the hosts.

Three of United's goals came in a superb first period for Jose Mourinho’s men and it was Lukaku who began the rout with a comfortable far-post header from Anthony Martial’s left-wing cross. The ecstatic 600 Reds fans gathered in the top tier of the stand above him had an early reward for their loyalty.

The Army Men almost found an instant reply with Alan Dzagoev thundering a low drive towards goal and David De Gea stretching out his right hand to divert it wide. That attack was a unique early foray into United’s half by the hosts, who were otherwise hemmed in at the back by the aggressive running of Martial, Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in particular, with the Armenian again making an art form of performing on the European stage.

Mkhitaryan was denied a goal that his early sparkle merited when left wing-back Daley Blind returned the ball to him in the box and his finish was kept out by the legs of the experienced CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev. The no.22’s penalty-area presence did pay off soon after, however, when he was brought down by Georgi Schennikov and Martial stepped up to send Akinfeev the wrong way from the spot.

Aleksandr Golovin had inadvertently teed up the earlier shot on target from Dzagoev with an embarrassing air-kick but the much talked-about 21-year-old certainly connected with the ball when he drifted in from the left, only to see his shot bend beyond the far post.

That fleeting moment of youthful rebellion seemed to tweak the tails of United’s tigerish attackers, with Lukaku pouncing on another Moscow mis-kick to put his team further ahead. CSKA centre-back Vasili Berezutski swung a boot inaccurately towards Martial’s less than deadly cross and the Reds’ no.9 moved on to 10 goals for the season with probably his most simple finish for the club so far.

As if going 3-0 down wasn’t demoralising enough for CSKA, they had more discouragement when De Gea brilliantly tipped over a Fedor Chalov shot that might have beaten a weaker goalkeeper, while Vitinho’s powerful effort into his grasp and another low drive from Dzagoev were mere meat and drink for the Spaniard.

Akinfeev’s parry to prevent Lukaku claiming a hat-trick while half-time coffees were still being drained was a more spectacular save and he seemed to have his goal covered when Blind rose highest to head captain Ashley Young’s cross over the bar.

The CSKA goalkeeper was exposed when his fine stop thwarted Martial but gifted Mkhitaryan with an irresistible opportunity to make it 4-0 on the rebound.

The Armenian’s replacement on the hour-mark, Jesse Lingard, immediately tried to get in on the act from Martial’s through-ball but Akinfeev brilliantly denied him and ultimately was the reason why the Reds didn’t quite rack up a bigger score.

The final say in terms of the scoresheet was had by CSKA substitute Konstanti Kuchaev as the no.89 breached the United rearguard to finally put the ball in De Gea's net, but it was only the smallest of dents in what was a very decent night's work in Russia for Mourinho's rampaging Reds.

THE LINE-UPS

CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev (c); Vasin, V Berezutski, Ignashevich; Wernbloom; Fernandes, Dzagoev (Milanov 72), Golovin, Schennikov; Vitinho (Kuchaev 84), Chalov (Zhamaletdinov 66).

Subs not used: Pomazun (GK), A Berezutski, Nababkin, Natcho.

United: De Gea; Young (c) (Darmian 66), Lindelof, Bailly, Smalling, Blind; Matic, Herrera; Mkhitaryan (Lingard 60), Martial (Rashford 72); Lukaku.

Subs: Romero, Tuanzebe, McTominay, Mata.

WHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

The Reds return to action sooner than is ideal after arriving home from a long Champions League trip at 4am on Thursday morning – the next game is at 3pm on Saturday afternoon, the club’s first traditional kick-off time of the season. At least Jose Mourinho’s men are at home and the opposition could be tougher than a Crystal Palace team still seeking their first goal of the Premier League campaign after six games, four under the fired Frank de Boer and two under his replacement Roy Hodgson.