United levelled just before half-time through the evergreen Ryan Giggs as he cut in from the right and fired home from outside the box - to set the bar ever higher for the oldest player to score in the competition as at 37 years and 289 days he beat his own mark set in April.
The Welsh great also set another benchmark making it 16 Champions League campaigns he has scored in, breaking the mark he shared with former Real Madrid icon Raul.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said that Giggs''s goal had settled them down.
"Once we scored, we played well," he said.
"Our possession was too cautious in the first half. It was the kind of possession that gives you a certain control but doesn't win you the game."
Inter just could not break down the Trabzonspor defence and the hosts were left stunned when Czech right-back Ondrej Celustka gave the visitors the lead in the second-half.
Trabzonspor's former Turkey national coach Senol Gunes said the difference had been that his players were not intimidated by their star studded opponents.
AFP