Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City: Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford find the back of the net as Jose Mourinho gets one up on Pep Guardiola

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One of the criticisms aimed at Romelu Lukaku is that he doesn't score enough goals against the big clubs. Here, in Houston's NRG Stadium, he went some way to dispelling that notion with a effort of stunning quality to set his new club on course for victory in the Manchester derby.

It was Lukaku's second goal in as many games for Manchester United following a £75million move from Everton, and the fact it came against Manchester City will be all the sweeter.

A routine finish against Real Salt Lake is one thing, but this was something else altogether; a sublime finish from the tightest of angles against one of United's main rivals for the Premier League title next season. 

Romelu Lukaku celebrates after opening the scoring for Manchester United against Manchester City in Houston

Lukaku stole in front of Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson who had rushed off his line in the 37th minute

The striker tucked home an excellent finish on the half-volley from a tight angle to put his side in front

Lukaku celebrates with Paul Pogba after scoring in the International Champions Cup meeting between the teams

Marcus Rashford doubled United's lead two minutes later with a fine finish below the diving Ederson

Rashford is congratulated by Lukaku after doubling Manchester United's lead in the NRG Stadium

We're only in pre-season, of course. This was City's first game and the lack of match sharpness among a team that included three debutants showed against a United side getting into full stride.

But nothing can take away from Lukaku's goal shortly before half-time. It was not a moment that City's new £35m goalkeeper Ederson Moraes will remember with any fondness, but more of that later.

Marcus Rashford added United's second with a confident finish almost immediately as Jose Mourinho's side floored their neighbours with a quick one-two. City never really recovered from that, but there were still positives for Pep Guardiola to draw from an entertaining encounter in Texas.

NFL star JJ Watt did the coin toss and Canadian rapper Drake presented the match ball, but when all the hoopla was said and done it came down to a plain old Manchester rivalry under the roof of this magnificent stadium.

The air conditioned arena gave both teams respite from the heat and humidity of Houston in summer and made for a far better game than it would otherwise have been.

A year on from the debacle in the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing, United and City could finally get down to their derby played on foreign soil.

And they made quite a good job of it for their American audience as a lively first half produced two goals for United in the space of three minutes shortly before the break.

Mourinho's side had edged it on the balance of play. They started well and Ander Herrera forced Ederson to make his first save with a rising shot from the edge of the area in the fourth minute.

Moments later, Lukaku burst past Fernandinho on the right and swung over a cross for Jesse Lingard who failed to control it in front of goal. 

Lukaku took to Instagram after the game to share some shots from inside the Manchester United dressing room

The striker's dressing video showed Jesse Lingard and Rashford celebrating the victory over City in Texas

Lukaku goes to ground under the challenge of his fellow Belgian, Manchester City's Vincent Kompany

Ederson falls gratefully on the ball in front of Lukaku as United pushed hard for the first goal early on

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was lively throughout his time on the pitch and created the second goal for Rashford

Antonio Valencia, who was sent off in United's last pre-season friendly, captained the side in Texas

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said he would treat the game like a training session

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took a casual approach to his touchline dress for the occasion

Both teams had specially commissioned shirts for the match, bearing the worker bee symbol of Manchester

The shirts will be auctioned off to raise money for the fund supporting the victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack

Herrera tested Ederson again and Henrikh Mkhitaryan fired over from distance before United created their best chance in the 21st minute. Antonio Valencia played the ball into Mkhitaryan whose clever turn took him away from Vincent Kompany and Toisin Adarabioyo. The Armenian rifled a shot towards the far post but Ederson beat it away with both hands.

City took a while to warm up but enjoyed their fair share of chances before falling behind to that double blow before half-time.

Raheem Sterling had their first shot on target, a curling effort gathered comfortably by David De Gea. Teenage debutant Phil Foden then fired wide after a neat turn in midfield, and only Paul Pogba's well-timed challenge stopped Kyle Walker in his tracks as City's new £50m man latched onto a flick from Sergio Aguero.

Sterling's deflected effort forced De Gea to leap and touch the ball over his bar before Chris Smalling came to United's rescue on the half hour.

Mourinho's side contributed to the problem by trying to overplay the ball out of defence. Fernandinho stole in to take possession and played the ball into Patrick Roberts on the edge of the six-yard box. Roberts looked certain to score but Smalling got in between him and De Gea to block, and then recovered in time to throw himself in front of Sterling's follow-up shot.

City paid the price when Lukaku gave United the lead with his second goal in two games, a quite magnificent effort in the 37th minute.   

City new boy Kyle Walker gets to the ball in front of Rashford as the two England internationals do battle

Stockport lad Phil Foden enjoyed an excellent first half and here evades the challenge of Ander Herrera

A young fan looks excited as he watches Lukaku celebrate his 37th-minute opener at the NRG Stadium

Lukaku is congratulated by Lingard and Rashford after finding the back of the net with an excellent finish

United's new £75m striker went galloping forward in pursuit of Pogba's clever throughball as Ederson raced out of his goal to intercept. 

Questions will probably be asked of the new City goalkeeper's decision making, and he was done the moment the bouncing ball held up just enough to give Lukaku an advantage.

The Belgian had the pace, and bravery, to nip and head the ball away from his opponent, but it was what happened next that made it so special.

Turning the ball into the empty net from a tight angle with his right foot would have been hard enough. Lukaku took it on with his left and curled in an exquisite shot. Kompany and Adarabioyo, jogging back towards goal, could hardly believe he had done it.

The crowd here were still marvelling at United's first goal when Rashford added a second in the 39th minute. The impressive Mkhitaryan was involved once again, slipping a pass to the teenager who was overlapping down the right. Rashford drew Ederson before drilling the ball across the Brazilian and into the far corner.   

David de Gea enjoys the goal which put United in front during the match in Texas on Thursday night

De Gea was called into action when Sergio Aguero came bearing down on goal during the first half

Walker encourages his defensive line to get in shape during the first half of the encounter in Houston as Lukaku looks on

Guardiola cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines as United edged into a comfortable lead against their city rivals

Mkhitaryan lines up a shot for United as he is watched by backtracking City forward Kevin De Bruyne

Brahim Diaz came off the bench for Manchester City in the second half and battles for the ball with Lingard

The numerous changes made at half-time only seemed to turn the game further in United's favour. Lukaku was inches away from scoring another when he hammered a vicious attempt against the upright with Ederson beaten, and Rashford had City's keeper backpedalling to turn the ball over from under his crossbar with an audacious lob from wide on the right. Pogba also tried his luck from the edge of the box but sent the ball flying into the side-netting.

Having brought on surplus players like Samir Nasri and Eliaquim Mangala, City rather lost their way. But they almost pulled a goal back in the 74th minute when Nasri crossed towards Brahim Diaz unmarked in front goal. United's substitute goalkeeper Sergio Romero came out to punch clear and Foden hooked the ball just over the top of an empty net.

United thought they had got a third when Ederson made a remarkable triple save from Phil Jones at close range and Lukaku followed up to fire home, but the former Everton striker was offside.

United's new No 9 did not look too disappointed. He had already done more than enough.  

De Gea leaps up to his right to push a shot to safety as he looked to protect his clean sheet in Houston