Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's winning start to life at the Manchester United helm continued but the FA Cup third-round triumph against embattled Reading was the caretaker manager's most unconvincing performance to date.
United racked up their fifth straight victory since the Norwegian replaced Jose Mourinho, although the Royals provided a test that belied their place five points adrift of safety in the Championship.
Reading arrived at Old Trafford without a win in their previous 10 matches but proved a handful on an afternoon that saw United emerge 2-0 victors thanks to Juan Mata's penalty - after a lengthy video assistant referee delay - and a cool Romelu Lukaku strike.
