Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku fire Manchester United into Champions League last 16

Manchester United 2 CSKA Moscow 1: It was the visitors who pulled ahead through Alan Dzagoev but Jose Mourinho's men soon hit back after the break

Marcus Rashford's second-half goal clinched victory for United at Old Trafford (Getty)

It was never a question of if or when Manchester United would finally secure progression to the knockout stages of this season’s Champions League, only how.

Jose Mourinho’s players began the night knowing that only a cataclysmic defeat by seven goals or more to this CSKA Moscow side would see them eliminated.

Still, it looked for a while as though they would only limp over the line. Alan Dzagoev’s opener against the run of play - only the third goal scored by the opposition at Old Trafford this season - threatened to spoil the evening, but two second-half strikes in as many minutes, one each from Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford, made sure of a winning return to the last 16.

With their place in the next round all but guaranteed before kick-off, United struggled for urgency in the opening stages, though the ever-enthusiastic Rashford twice went close early on. The teenager hit the upright three minutes in then after a quarter of an hour saw another placed effort saved.

Luke Shaw also caught the eye. The full-back, making his first start for the club in 219 days, appeared eager to seize this rare chance to impress and hit a hooked shot that Igor Akinfeev could only parry. The loose ball fell to Lukaku’s feet mere yards from the goalline, but the Belgian scuffed his effort and Akinfeev gathered.

Paul Pogba was busy reminding Old Trafford what they will be missing in Sunday’s derby, too. United’s three liveliest players almost opened the scoring when the midfielder slipped in Shaw, who sent a first-time across the face of CSKA’s goal. Rashford was a fraction too late to connect at the far post.

Marcus Rashford put United ahead shortly after Lukaku's equaliser (Getty)

Yet it seemed typical of Shaw’s United career so far that at the end of 45 promising minutes, it was his error that allowed the visitors to go ahead. The full-back failed to track a run by his overlapping opposite number Mario Fernandes, who darted in behind and crossed from the byline. The ball broke to Vitinho, whose goal-bound shot deflected in off the back of Dzagoev.

United appealed for what seemed a clear offside, but Daley Blind, positioned off the pitch after a failed sliding challenge, had played the scorer on.

Chris Smalling brushes off a tackle to maintain possession (Getty)

The half-time scoreline did not reflect United’s dominance but it did hint at their complacency. CSKA had barely enjoyed a clear sight of Sergio Romero’s goal prior to the opener and their porous defence should have punished, but United set about putting that right once the two sides re-emerged.

Pogba’s ambitious passing had been one of the highlights of the first half and shortly after the hour mark, it finally bore fruit. The Frenchman glided a ball over the top of CSKA’s defence and, with pinpoint accuracy, delivered it onto the boot of Lukaku. The striker jostled with Viktor Vasin then volleyed past Akinfeev to score a much-needed goal, only his second in 13 appearances.

Play had barely re-started by the time Rashford put United ahead. Two minutes after Lukaku’s leveller, his strike partner was on the receiving end of a delightful Juan Mata dink that wiped out two CSKA defenders. Rashford waited for the Spaniard’s pass to drop kindly before drilling into the far corner, out of Akinfeev’s reach.

If United's place in the next round had not been certain at the start of the night, it was now. It is only the second time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement that United have reached this stage of Champions League, and the first since David Moyes’ fateful year in charge. Yet even after making hard work of what should have been a routine win, there will be hope that under Mourinho, United are finally ready to compete with the elite again.

Manchester United (3-5-2): Romero; Lindelof, Smalling, Blind; Valencia (Tuanzebe 72), Pogba, Herrera (McTominay 66), Shaw; Mata, Lukaku (Martial 74), Rashford.

Substitutes not used: Joel, Lingard, Young, Darmian.

CSKA Moscow (3-4-3): Akinfeev; Berezutski, Vasin, Ignashevich; Fernandes, Golovin, Kuchaev, Nababkin (Khosonov 90+1); Vitinho (Zhamaletdinov 82), Chalov (Gordyushenko 66), Dzagoev.

Substitutes not used: Pomazun, Makarov, Olanare.

Referee: G Rochhi (Italy)

Attendance: 74,669