The sweetest of defeats for Chelsea that creeps them into next season's Champions League despite losing 2-1 to Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League.
Real Madrid won 3-2 over Almeria last time out, while Las Palmas are impressing this season and come into this one off the back of a 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.
However, with the Group F contest seemingly petering out into a draw at El Madrigal, up popped Ronaldo to make the breakthrough with a brilliant piece of anticipation to nip in and score his sixth Champions League goal this season and his 10th
Former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane provided both assists for Kane, finding him inside the box for the opener as the striker spun and fired the ball intothe top corner.
bolstered by Thiago Silva's subsequent effort, added to his haul for theseason with an absolutely outstanding goal from outside the penalty area on the right edge, to put the Blues on their path to victory.
Pochettino's short tenure at Stamford Bridge was under severe scrutiny after the 4-2 home defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday left them languishing in 11th place in the Premier League.
Less than five minutes had elapsed when the big man put the visitors, attacking the Jonny Wilkinson End, intothe lead - turning on a deflected Mesut Ozil corner from three yards out and volleying intothe corner.
It means Mikel Arteta's side go into next Thursday's second leg with genuine hope of reaching a second Europa League final in three seasons and with the potential of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
With fit-again Michael Olise subbed on in the second half for his first appearance of theseason and Eze electric, the momentum seemed to be firmly with the home side.
It was only Fred's second goal of theseason - and it was the first time since the middle of September that United have recorded back-to-back league wins.
Ansu Fati and Simon Adingra got a goal and an assist each as a clinical Brighton side stunned Ajax 2-0 in Amsterdam to move intothe qualification spots of their Europa League group for the first time.