The big Belgian striker has had to wait five years since his arrival in England to play in the competition – and has now struck three goals in his first two games at Europe’s top table.
Lukaku followed up his strike against Basel in the opening game with two more here as Manchester United blew CSKA Moscow away and took a firm grip on Group A.
He could have had a hat-trick but handed a penalty to Anthony Martial – who converted - and was also denied by Igo Akinfeev.
Henirkh Mkhitaryan, with his customary Euro away goal, completed the rout as United ran up their biggest Champions League win since they trounced Bayer Leverkusen 5-0 in Germany during David Moyes spell in charge four years ago.
No wonder Mourinho says he loves Moscow. He’s now met CSKA seven times with four different clubs – and has won six and drawn the other.
Even a late consolation goal from sub Konstantin Kuchaev didn’t spoil a journey back to Manchester that was very much from Russia with love.
Some of CSKA’s defending was awful but this was a real statement of intent that United are back on the big European stage and mean business.
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Anthony Martial scored from the spot
Mourinho and his counterpart Victor Goncherenko had been very complimentary about each other’s team in the build-up. Mourinho described it as the best CSKA side he had faced while Goncharenko said it was the strongest United team since Sir Alex Ferguson had retired.
But after half an hour with United three-up it looked as if Mourinho had been indulging in some mind games.
CSKA had not kept a clean sheet in their previous 29 group games and their hopes of improving that record lasted precisely four minutes.
Lukaku sent Martial racing away down the left and when he jinked past Victor Vashin to send over a cross, the big Belgian arrived with perfect timing to climb above Sergei Ignashevich to head past Igor Akinfeev.
It was the perfect start to a half of virtual total domination by United, helped by some poor defending by the Russian club.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was denied what looked a certain goal when Akinfeev stuck out his leg to block his close range effort from Daley Blind’s low cross.
But United did not have to wait long for their second.
It came in the 19th minute when Martial sent Akinfeev the wrong way from the penalty spot after Mkhitaryan had been sent tumbling by Georgi Schennikov’s sliding tackle that was asking for trouble – and was right in front of the touchline official who made clear his opinion to referee Jonas Eriksson.
Manchester United train in Moscow ahead of CSKA clash
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United were effectively home and hosed after 27 minutes when more hapless defending gifted Lukaku his second goal.
Martial was again the creator, sending over another dangerous cross but Vasili Berezutski completely missed his attempted clearance kick to leave his fellow defenders and Akinfeev wrong-footed and Lukaku with an easy tap-in to an unguarded net.
But despite United looking dangerous every time they ventured forward they still needed David De Gea to pull off two good saves at either end of the half to prevent CSKA from scoring.
His first save came from Aleksandr Golovin moments after Lukaku’s first goal and he produced an even more spectacular effort just before the break to tip over Edor Chalov’s effort.
No doubt Mourinho’s half-time message at half-time was ‘keep your foot on the gas and don’t give them any encouragement’.
If it was, his players were listening because they simply carried on where they had left off.
Lukaku could have completed his hat-trick after more great skill by Martial but while his shot carried power it was straight at Akinfeev who was able to keep it out.
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Jose Mourinho congratulates Romelu Lukaku at the final whistle
Daley Blind then tried to get in on the act by sending a header just over form Ashley Young’s cross.
And it was no surprise when Mkhitaryan added the fourth after 57 minutes.
Again CSKA were masters of their own downfall with Sergei Ignashevich Vasin’s pass intercepted by Nemanja Matic.
He released Martial and when his shot was parried by the over-worked Akinfeev, Mkhitaryan was there to fired home the loose ball from a tight angle – and to the delight of the many Armenians in the crowd.
