Manchester United's Romelu Lukaku rounds Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Eduardo Fernandez before burying his effortJust for a moment, it looked as though Romelu Lukaku had wasted his chance. Henrikh Mkhitaryan played a wonderful cross into the path of Manchester United's new £75million signing but his first touch let him down. Lukaku recovered, though, and took the ball around the goalkeeper before firing past a defender on the line.The Belgium striker will score more significant goals on more important occasions than this, a pre-season friendly in Salt Lake City. But this was his first in a United shirt and he will feel all the better for it.Two days earlier in Los Angeles, Lukaku missed an easy chance as he was upstaged by young Marcus Rashford. His rather untidy effort here at the Rio Tinto Stadium was the difference between United a surprisingly lively Real side.
Lukaku celebrates scoring his first goal for Manchester United to put his side back into the lead in Utah
Lukaku points to the sky after his United team-mates had finished celebrating with the Belgium international
Luis Silva put Real Salt Lake ahead after 24 minutes when he slotted past Joel Pereira following a superb run
United midfielder Juan Mata was forced off with an ankle injury in the second half after a collision with Sebastian Saucedo
Paul Pogba takes the ball forward as he gets away from Silva during the first half against Real Salt Lake
Chris Smalling goes close to extending United's lead in the second half but his header went over the bar
Romelu Lukaku takes the ball round Real Salt Lake defender Kyle Beckerman during the opening stages of the first half
United's starting goalkeeper Joel Pereira also managed to gather Plata's low shot at the second attempt after another incisive move, but he was powerless to stop Real taking a deserved lead in the 23rd minute.
It came from another fantastic sweeping move as the lively Savarino raced in between Lingard and Daley Blind, and slipped a pass through for Luis Silva. Phil Jones looked as though he would stop the striker but was muscled off the ball far too easily by Silva who flicked it past Pereira with the outside of his left foot.
Up to that point, United had only put together one attack of note when Mkhitaryan swept the ball to Fosu-Mensah galloping down the right. Lukaku anticipated the defender's low cross to the edge of the six-yard box but just couldn't quite connect as he lunged in.
However, United did pull level in the 29th minute and it was their best player Mkhitaryan who finished it off. The Armenian was unmarked when he received the ball from Lingard on the edge of the area despite three white shirts being in close proximity, and he turned to drag a shot inside goalkeeper Nick Rimando's left-hand post.
Real made their first raft of changes moments later and it seemed to take the edge off their play as Lukaku fired United in front with that landmark first goal seven minutes before half-time.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho watches on during the match with the rest of his coaching staff
United's starting XI included new signings Victor Lindelof (bottom right) and Romelu Lukaku (second from top left)
The Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah was the venue for Real Salt Lake against Manchester United
A United supporters holds a scarf aloft ahead of the game against Real Salt Lake at the Rio Tinto Stadium
Mourinho summoned his own replacements at half-time, making 11 changes just as he did in LA at the weekend.Unfortunately for Mata, he didn’t last long before limping off after picking up a foot injury in a challenge with Sebastian Saucedo, with the United boss anxious not to take any risks with the Spaniard.
There was certainly a little more bite in the game, and Valencia followed Mata down the tunnel in the 68th minute when he was sent off for taking retribution with a scything challenge on Saucedo.
It was a curious decision considering that the officials in both tour games have been reluctant to produce so much as a yellow card. Even more so because MLS referee Allen Chapman waited for more than two minutes while Saucedo received treatment before brandishing a red. There was a suggestion that Chapman asked Mourinho to take the Ecuador international before sending him off.
Real briefly threatened an equaliser when Luke Mulholland flashed a shot wide in the 73rd minute, but United should have extended their lead in the latter stages as Chris Smalling and Anthony Martial missed chances.
Youngster Scott McTominay was given a chance from the start against Real Salt Lake at the Rio Tinto Stadium
United's starting XI included Joel Pereira, captain Michael Carrick, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho signs the shirt of one supporter ahead of the game on Monday