Manchester United went one step closer to the final of the EFL Cup after a convincing 2-0 win over Hull City in the first leg of the semi-final. Jose Mourinho put out a strong side in the hopes that his team would wrap up an easy victory at Old Trafford and his side did not disappoint. They started the better side, dominating proceedings right till the end of the game.
After a goalless first half, Juan Mata broke the deadlock in the second with an easy tap after Mkhitaryan headed across goal. It looked like Hull would take a 1-0 deficit into the second leg but substitute Marouane Fellaini scored with a late header to double the Red Devil’s advantage.
Manchester United
David De Gea (7/10): The Spanish stopper was left isolated for most of the game and only had to deal with a few tame long range efforts.
Antonio Valencia (7/10): Valencia operated more as a right winger than a right-back and enjoyed a lot of freedom on the wings. He provided a number of good crosses into the box as well.
Phil Jones (7/10): Jones was barely tested in defence as he continued his impressive performance for United this season. He remains a vital part of Mourinho’s plans, from a defensive perspective.
Chris Smalling (7/10): It was a relatively quiet game for the England international who was positioned near the centre circle for most of the game as his team dominated possession.
Matteo Darmian (7.5/10): The Italian was once again asked to play on the opposite flank, although he didn’t have much defending to do and was more productive in an attacking sense. He provided the cross that led to Fellaini’s goal.
Ander Herrera (7.5/10): The Spaniard had an excellent game, playing the deepest of the United midfielders. He shielded his defenders very well, not allowing Hull to break on the counter with ease, while he barely misplaced a pass.
Paul Pogba (7/10): Pogba smashed the post with a second-half free-kick and played some delicious long balls throughout the match with only his long range shooting being considerably disappointing.
Henrik Mkhitaryan (7/10): The Armenian attempted a number of chances on the Hull goal, especially in the first half but didn’t really trouble Jakupovic in goal. He had a good outing otherwise and was taken off with 20 minutes to go.
Wayne Rooney (6/10): Rooney is on course to break the Manchester United all-time goal scoring record but it was not to be tonight, although he did come desperately close with a shot that just edged past the post. The United skipper was replaced just on the hour mark by Martial.
Juan Mata (8/10): The Spaniard was denied by a good save in the first half but he made no mistake with a simple tap-in to open the scoring at the start of the second. His passing and link-up play was precise as usual but he didn’t last the 90 after he was replaced by Fellaini.
Marcus Rashford (6/10): Despite a disappointing outing, Rashford managed to last the entirety of the game. He was well marshalled by Maguire throughout the 90 and didn’t have a meaningful shot on goal.
Substitutes
Anthony Martial (6/10): Martial looked hungry to get on the scoresheet but it was not meant to be for the young Frenchman as he didn’t even manage to test Jakupovic.
Jesse Lingard (4/10): The youngster came on for Mkhitaryan in the second half but barely had any impact on proceedings.
Marouane Fellaini (6/10): Fellaini came on to sure up the game, in place of Mata, with just over 10 minutes left on the clock and did a decent job at that, if not better, as he got a vital second goal for his side, late on in the game.
Hull City
Eldin Jakupovic (6.5/10): The Hull stopper made a great save to deny Mata in the first half but was left helpless to deny either of United’s two goals. Other than that, he made a couple of good saves to deny United scoring even more.
Tom Huddlestone (5/10): The former Tottenham man was made to play out of position due to injuries and judging by that he did a considerably good job at centre-back. He came desperately close to hook Fellaini’s effort off the line but only just failed to do so.
Harry Maguire (7/10): Maguire was one of Hull’s best players on the day, putting in a rock solid performance at the back. Despite conceding two, the youngster can take pride in an impressive performance.
Andrew Robertson (6/10): The left-back was forced to operate in a more central role as Hull struggled to cope with injuries and he didn’t do the worst job at that. He was given a tough time by Mata and Valencia but he managed to cope well on most occasions.
David Meyler (5/10): Meyler was yet another player that was played out of position as he started in a right wing-back position. He had the tough task of curtailing Rooney and Darmian, to which he struggled more than a few times.
Ryan Mason (5/10): Hull’s record signing barely enjoyed any time on the ball as he was quickly hacked off it by Herrera and Pogba, leaving him invisible for most of the game.
Sam Clucas (6/10): The midfielder showed great control and skill when he was on the ball, although he didn’t enjoy much possession. The 26-year-old tried his best to move his team further up the pitch but to no avail.
Josh Tymon (5/10): The 17-year-old often looked lost in the game but to be fair to him, his side were left chasing the match for most of the 90. He couldn’t complete 90 minutes as he was forced off through injury and replaced by James Weir.
Robert Snodgrass (6/10): The Scotsman was one of the few shining stars for Hull, although he did nothing to test De Gea in goal. His deliveries from set-pieces were largely disappointing, considering the quality he possesses.
Markus Henriksen (5/10): The Norwegian forward only lasted 16 minutes on the pitch after suffering a shoulder injury, following a coming together with Paul Pogba. He didn’t have the chance to even get inside the opposition penalty area. The 24-year-old was replaced by Hernandez.
Adama Diomande (6.5/10): He came the closest for the visitors with a header that bounced off the post, although it would have been ruled out for offside. Didn’t test De Gea as much as he would have liked and was taken for the final 15 minutes or so.
Substitutes
Abel Hernandez (4/10): Hernandez came on for Henriksen early on in the first half but was mostly invisible throughout his time on the pitch.
Shaun Maloney (3/10): Maloney came on for Diomande with just over 15 minutes left to play but was ineffective whenever he had possession of the ball.
James Weir (N/A): The youngster returned to face his boyhood club in the dying stages after he came on for the injured Tymon.Juan Mata Hull City
