Hull City vs. Manchester United: Score and Reaction from 2017 EFL Cup Leg 2
Manchester United suffered a 2-1 defeat to Hull City at the KCOM Stadium on Thursday in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final but sneaked through to the final, winning 3-2 on aggregate.
Tom Huddlestone halved the overall deficit in the tie in the 35th minute of the game, smashing home a penalty for the Tigers after Marcos Rojo's foul on Harry Maguire.
After the break, the Red Devils upped the ante and levelled in the 65th minute through Paul Pogba. A late goal for Oumar Niasse in his first start for the club made the last five minutes nervy for United, but they did enough to keep their aggregate lead intact.
United will face Southampton in the final on Feb. 26 at Wembley Stadium. Saints overcame Liverpool 2-0 on aggregate, winning both legs 1-0.
Even though the Red Devils had a two-goal lead from the first leg, United boss Jose Mourinho didn't take any half measures on his 54th birthday, naming a strong team.
Action was at a premium early on, as the visitors controlled possession for long spells. Per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, there was more excitement in the stands than on the pitch:
"The new chant getting aired en masse #mufc pic.twitter.com/eC9Wsq1r8N
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) January 26, 2017"
The first clear chance fell to the home side 26 minutes in, with Niasse smashing a loose ball at goal, although his effort was straight at David De Gea. However, some sloppy defending soon gave the hosts a way back into the tie.
Rojo got too tight to Maguire from a set piece, grabbing a chunk of his shirt and prompting referee Jon Moss to point to the spot. After United's complaints subsided, Huddlestone tucked his kick away with aplomb.
Football writer Paul Ansorge felt as though the official got the decision wrong:
"That is an extraordinary penalty decision. Jose's gonna lose it
— Paul (@UtdRantcast) January 26, 2017"
After falling behind, United continued to look tepid in the final third, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic being the only Red Devil to bring a save from David Marshall in the Hull goal in the first half. At the break, the KCOM crowd roared, with their Wembley dream alive again.
There was immediately more impetus about United in the second period, and much to Mourinho's annoyance, Pogba and Chris Smalling both had decent shouts for penalties waved away.
As the match ticked past the hour mark, United slowly started to crank up the pressure, and with Hull looking weary following their first-half effort, Pogba pounced on a loose ball in the box, prodding past Marshall through a mass of amber-and-black shirts:
The atmosphere fell flat inside the stadium after Pogba's equaliser—aside from the visiting fans, who were churning out their Wembley song list—and United continued to push on.
They came within inches of going ahead on the night, with Rojo powering a header against the crossbar from a corner. At the other end, Niasse did the same, reminding the Red Devils the game wasn't over.
United didn't heed the warning, as Hull got back in front with a well-worked goal on 85 minutes. David Meyler cushioned a superb cross into the path of Niasse, who turned home unmarked from six yards out. The home fans had belief again.
Per Tony Barrett of Joe.co.uk, some on-loan Merseyside misfits were doing their utmost to give Hull a chance:
However, it was too late for the home side to force extra time, with all associated with United breathing a sigh of relief at the final whistle.
Mourinho has placed a great deal of emphasis on this competition during his time in English football, winning it three times, and he'll be delighted to have steered his team into another final. Although winning more prestigious honours will be on his agenda at Old Trafford, getting silverware in the cabinet early in his tenure can help take some pressure off.
United's performance on the night wasn't the best, yet there was a feeling the team had gears to move through if needed. They'll need to show more against Southampton in the final if they're to lift the trophy.
Post-Match Reaction
Afterward, Mourinho declined to discuss the controversial decisions on the night.
"It was a difficult road to be in the final, and we are in the final," he said, per BBC Sport. "I don't want to say anything else. It is enough. I am calm, I behaved on the bench, no sending off, no punishment, so no more words."
Per Goal's Kris Voakes, Mourinho did offer some insight into how he felt about the referee's decisions:
Hull boss Marco Silva admitted he had mixed emotions at the end of the game.
"It is important to win the game, but the result in the first leg caused problems for us," he said, per BBC Sport. "It was a good performance again, a good attitude and we controlled the game in large periods against a big team. It is impossible at this moment to feel really happy."
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