Manchester United went through on aggregate in the EFL Cup semi-final despite losing to Hull City at the KCOM stadium. Tom Huddlestone scored from the penalty spot past David de Gea after Harry Macguire went down in the box.
However, Paul Pogba got United back in the game after the ball fell to him in the box and he finished it off with a toke poke. Oumar Niasse put the Tigers ahead towards the end of the game making it a nervy finish for the Red Devils, but Mourinho’s men saw it through and progressed to the final of the EFL Cup.
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Here are the player ratings:
Hull City
David Marshall: 7/10
Marshall had a good game in goal for Hull City. He made some crucial saves in the game – one an absolute blinder from an Ibrahimovic strike in the 38th minute that seemed destined to go in.
He tipped away Marcus Rashford’s cross that would’ve fallen kindly to Ibrahimovic but he could do nothing for the Pogba goal. United should have tested him more; they only managed two shots on target.
David Meyler: 7.5/10
Meyler was outstanding on Hull City’s right full-back position. He did a good job handling the explosive Marcus Rashford in the 30th minute after fouling the youngster earlier in the 13th minute and worked tirelessly up and down the wing.
He won a free-kick off Rojo in the 57th minute and then assisted Niasse’s goal in the 84th with a perfect cross that resulted in a tap-in. A good game from the wing-back in all.
Harry Maguire: 7/10
Maguire came out with the ball on numerous occasions, starting attacks and kept things solid at the back for Hull. He won the penalty for Hull after replays showed Rojo pulled his jersey in the box in the 32nd minute. He was a little too adventurous for a centre-back but we’ve come to expect that from him now.
Michael Dawson: 6/10
Dawson had a better than average game for Hull. He should’ve scored but was denied by a last-ditch tackle by Smalling in the 26th minute and he put in an expert block on Herrera in the 60th minute. But he was good in the air all game and organised Hull’s defence very well.
Josh Tymon: 6/10
Tymon was barely on the ball in the game and chose to just defend for his side with Maguire and Meyler running out of the back often. He did not influence the game much but kept things neat and tidy with clearances.
Jarrod Bowen: 6/10
Bowen was handed his debut for Hull this game but wasn’t the best. Huddlestone spotted his intelligent run in the 20th minute but he could not control the ball. He later got into a tussle with Marcus Rashford near the corner flag and was substituted in the 58th minute.
Tom Huddlestone: 7/10
Huddlestone had a mixed game for Hull. He scored a penalty to put his side 1-0 up and then almost let United score after losing the ball in midfield, that led to the Ibrahimovic shot in the 38th minute.
He almost conceded a penalty by fouling Smalling in the 53rd minute and then tackled Rashford in the box in the second half, but the ball unluckily found it’s way to Pogba who scored in the 67th minute. He was involved in the build-up to Niasse’s goal as well, with a brilliant ball over the top to Meyler who assisted the Hull striker.
Sam Clucas: 6/10
Clucas should’ve done better with the space he had. He got into great positions but his delivery wasn’t the best. He was a threat in the game and did hit a free-kick in the 11th minute but it went over the bar and he needs to improve his final ball.
Shaun Maloney – 5/10
It was a poor game for Maloney who could not influence it as much as he would’ve liked. He disappeared for large spells of the game and apart from a free-kick in the 28th minute that he curled over the bar, he just played simple passes without doing a great deal. He was then substituted in the 60th minute.
Oumar Niasse: 8/10
Niasse was a menace all night with his runs and hold up play. He caused the Manchester United defence a lot of problems and was persistent right till the end. He went close with a header off the bar in the 76th minute and then got his goal in the 84th minute after Meyler’s superb cross, which resulted in a tap-in.
Adama Diomande: 6/10
Diomande had a chance in the 26th minute after the ball fell to him but de Gea saved it well. Apart from that, the striker was contained by the Manchester United defence.
Substitutes
Lazar Markovic: 5.5/10
Markovic came on for Bowen in the 60th minute and caused a few problems. He had a shot in the 74th minute which ballooned over the bar. He got into good positions but couldn’t do much damage.
Evandro: 4/10
Evandro came on for Maloney in the 63rd minute but did not do a great deal to influence the game.
Abel Hernandez: 6/10
Hernandez came on for Diomande in the 69th minute and had a shot that de Gea saved in the 77th minute. He could’ve done better but his substitution did open things up for Hull.
Manchester United
David de Gea: 6/10
de Gea wasn’t on top form and had an average game. He made a good save to deny Diomande in the 26th minute but could do nothing to stop both the goals from Hull – one a penalty, which he went the right way for, and the other left him rooted as Niasse tapped it in. He wasn’t tested too often by Hull and made some routine stops.
Matteo Darmian: 5/10
Darmian was quite poor down the right flank. He was beaten time and time again and failed to provide any worthwhile support going forward. Mourinho needs to get the wing-back to his best again, because he was simply awful against Hull City.
Chris Smalling: 7/10
Smalling was solid in the game and handled Diomande well but Niasse caused him a few problems. He made a brilliant last-ditch tackle to deny Dawson after he was one on one with de Gea in the 26th minute. He was involved in a penalty shout after Huddlestone brought him down in the Hull box in the 53rd minute.
Phil Jones: 6/10
Phil Jones was average and not at his best for United. He helped Smalling in handling the Hull strike force but Niasse did get the better of him. However, he was good in the air and cleared well. An interception in the 18th minute on Niasse and a block of Hernandez’s shot in the 77th minute were his highlights.
Marcos Rojo: 6/10
It was a mixed bag from Rojo on Manchester United’s left back position. He made a number of silly fouls and was unable to cope with overlaps by Meyler and even had a shot in the 16th minute. He brought down Maguire by tugging his jersey and conceded a penalty to Hull, which Huddlestone scored. He then hit the bar with a headed effort in the 73rd minute and later got booked in the 86th minute.
Michael Carrick: 6.5/10
This wasn’t Michael Carrick at his best. He did keep things ticking as usual, but was found out for pace on numerous Hull City breaks. He failed to exert too much influence on this game and disappeared as it wore on.
Ander Herrera: 7/10
Perhaps United’s best player in midfield was Herrera. He broke up play excellently and started attacks from the back. He took a shot from 20 yards out in the 60th minute which was blocked well by Dawson and played the pass of the match in the 82nd minute to release Marcus Rashford. His tackling was good and solid.
Paul Pogba: 7/10
Pogba was a bit careless in possession on a number of occasions, especially when under pressure, but he played a delightful chipped ball over the Hull back line for Lingard in the 45th minute which the winger could not control.
He then dived in the box in the 47th minute to try to win a penalty but it wasn’t given. However, when the ball broke loose to him rather fortunately after Huddlestone’s challenge on Rashford, he finished well with a toe poke and got his side the goal they needed to go through.
Jesse Lingard: 6/10
Lingard was poor against Hull. He should’ve controlled Pogba’s pass in the 45th minute, as he was in acres of space and against Marshall. Apart from his corners, which were good, he did not contribute too much in attack for United either. He was then substituted in the 78th minute.
Marcus Rashford: 8/10
Rashford was United’s best player with his energetic play and direct-running. He made a number of runs that caused havoc for the Hull back line. He left Meyler for dead in the 13th minute but was hacked down and then once more in the 30th minute but the defender dispossessed him.
It was his run that forced Huddlestone to tackle the ball, which in turn led to Pogba’s goal. He then turned into Messi for exactly 3 seconds with a sudden burst beating two or three defenders in the 81st minute but then got crowded off the ball.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: 6/10
Ibrahimovic was kept relatively quiet by Hull’s defenders but he did have a great shot arrowed into the bottom corner saved somehow by Marshall in the 38th minute. He was influential in the build-up to Pogba’s goal with a run and pass to Rashford from the left and then took another shot in the 72nd minute but it was deflected out for a corner.
It wasn’t his best game but he kept Hull’s defenders on their toes.
Substitutes
Wayne Rooney: 6/10
Rooney came on for Lingard in the 78th minute and was careful in possession. He played his part by keeping the ball and spraying it around.
Marouane Fellaini: NA
Fellaini came on for Rashford in the 90th minute and did his job assuring the midfield.
