After a lengthy sequence of single-goal wins, Manchester United have now settled upon a much happier number as they struck four times for the third game running to virtually seal a place in the Champions League group stage.
Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney, with his seventh goal in six games for club and country, gave United a flying start before Cristiano Ronaldo's double wrapped up a victory far more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.
Given the abject nature of Dynamo Kiev's defending, it is hard to see anything other than a United win when the two sides meet again at Old Trafford in a fortnight, a result that would see Sir Alex Ferguson's men book a place in the knock-out phase with two games to spare.
Indeed, the only complaint from the Red Devils chief on a night which saw United complete their biggest European away win in nine years, must have been that his side conceded twice as Diogo Rincon and Ismael Bangoura found the net for Dynamo to keep things interesting.
The goals were as much a result of slackness appearing in United's play during a game that was all to easy for them, the outcome and his personal contribution providing Rooney with the perfect gift for his 22nd birthday on Wednesday.
After losing Paul Scholes to a knee injury sustained in training and Patrice Evra to a calf strain suffered in the warm-up, the build-up was hardly smooth for the visitors.
With Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick already sidelined, the United manager will await the results of a scan Scholes will have on Wednesday with bated breath, especially as his side are due to tackle Premier League table-toppers Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on November 3.
Those worries are for another day though because here, in what are supposed to be the inhospitable climes of Eastern Europe, United were on easy street.
It became apparent from quite an early stage that Dynamo Kiev - without a point from their opening two games - were ill equipped to cope with the Red Devils' attacking threat.
If Ferdinand was given too much room for his ninth-minute header, the space Rooney and Ronaldo found themselves in when they put their names on the scoresheet was laughable.
In terms of his barren career, Ferdinand is now on something of a scoring streak.
Having found the net against Aston Villa on Saturday and also for England in their win over Russia at Wembley last month, the £29.1million star's first European goal in 42 attempts for United means his tally of three equals the best seasonal return of his career.
England team-mate Rooney is far more prolific of course and Dynamo presumably had heard about his impending birthday given the present they provided him with as he tapped home Wes Brown's low cross to maintain his impressive run of form.
Ronaldo was the architect of that effort, breaking from inside his half. However, as the Portugal winger should have been protecting the post Rincon's header crept into to hand Dynamo a 33rd-minute lifeline, Ronaldo was making up for his own error when he nodded home United's third.
He could probably have controlled Ryan Giggs' cross and rolled it in with his head such was the non-existent nature of Dynamo's defence.
Even with two half-time changes, Dynamo were unconvincing and Anderson was agonisingly close to netting his first United goal with a shot which bounced back off a post with Olexandr Shovkovskiy beaten.
Had Dynamo been awarded what appeared a certain penalty when substitute Artem Milevskiy tumbled under Nemanja Vidic's challenge, the hosts might have made a game of it.
Instead, Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai ruled in United's favour - dubiously it seemed on TV replays - and then gave the Red Devils a spot-kick, after extensive consultation with his assistant, after Goran Gavrancic had stuck out an elbow to block Tevez's cross.
Rooney, who failed with his hat-trick attempt at Villa Park on Saturday, handed over responsibility to Ronaldo, who promptly sent Shovkovskiy the wrong way.
Bangoura wrapped up the scoring 10 minutes from time and while the departure of a seemingly uninjured Edwin van der Sar raised eyebrows not long afterwards, United coasted home.
Teams:
Dynamo Kiev Shovkovskiy, Ghioane (Belkevich 45), Gavrancic, Diakhate, Gusev, Yussuf, Nesmachniy, Correa (Rotan 83),Bangoura, Rincon, Shatskikh (Milevskiy 45).
Subs Not Used: Rybka, Vashchuk, El Kaddouri, Markovic.
Booked: Diakhate.
Goals: Rincon 33, Bangoura 78.
Man Utd Van der Sar (Kuszczak 80), Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Ronaldo, Anderson, Fletcher, Giggs (Simpson 80),Rooney, Tevez (Nani 72).
Subs Not Used: Pique, Eagles.
Goals: Ferdinand 10, Rooney 18, Ronaldo 41, 68 pen.
Att: 43,000
Ref: Viktor Kassai (Hungary).
Sportinglife.com
Rooney, Rio and Ronaldo all hit the target to give United 3 wins out of 3 in the Champions League.
