An early goal from Zlatan Ibrahimovic meant the Swede certainly made an impact on his debut, but United produced their best work after he'd left the pitch, scoring four times in the second half to turn around a half-time deficit in convincing fashion.
If it was fitting that Ibrahimovic should make his debut for United in his native Sweden, it was just as fitting that he should mark it with his first United goal barely three minutes into the game. Valencia's excellent cross from the right found the mercurial Swede who scored with what was admittedly one of the less elegant of scissor kicks.
United appeared to have a stranglehold on the game in the early stages and it was therefore something of a shock when Galatasary equalised after 22 minutes, Gumus' header from a free kick bringing the sides level with his side's first chance.
The goal sparked the Turkish team into life and only a fine save from De Gea prevented them from taking the lead through Sneijder's long range effort. Galatasaray continued to dominate, however, and got their reward five minutes before half time when Bruma played a neat one-two before calmly finishing into the bottom corner.
Mourinho made five changes at half-time and it didn't take United long to turn the game around. They were level after just ten minutes, Valencia again the provider, cutting back from the line to find Rooney, who appeared among a group of defenders to crash the ball home. Moments later a typically penetrating run from Rashford - on for Ibrahimovic at half-time - ended with the youngster upended in the box and Rooney made no mistake from the spot.
Valencia gained his third assist just after the hour mark when his high cross found Fellaini, whose header looped over the keeper to bring United a 4-2 lead and a third goal in seven minutes.
After another raft of substitutions, a fifth goal for a rampant United came when Mata found Carrick wide on the right and got into the box to meet the midfielder's cross and bundle home.
It was an impressive second half display from United, with Carrick running the game from midfield, some industrious play from Lingard and some scintillating running up front from Rashford that had Ibrahimovic, no less, on his feet applauding. The teenager has been fazed by nothing since bursting into the United side, so perhaps he regards the appearance of one of the world's best strikers at Old Trafford as just another minor obstacle to be overcome.
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