Manchester United set up an EFL Cup final against Southampton in spite of losing their 17-match unbeaten run at Hull City in the semi-final second leg on Thursday.
Jose Mourinho’s side led 2-0 from the first leg but, making five changes, they struggled to impose themselves at the KCOM Stadium and lost 1-2 for a 3-2 aggregate win.
Tom Huddlestone put the hosts ahead from the penalty kick spot after four players had tangled in the area following a set-piece.
But Marcos Rojo’s pull on Harry Maguire’s shirt the most visible offence.
It gave Hull, 19th in the Premier League, poise and confidence, but their hopes of just a second domestic Cup final in their 113-year history were soon dashed.
That was when Paul Pogba poked through the legs of Maguire and into the bottom corner from 10 yards.
Rojo headed against the bar for United and the Tigers’ Oumar Niasse also struck the woodwork before he turned in David Meyler’s cross to set up a tense finale.
But the visitors held on and former Chelsea boss Mourinho could move level with Brian Clough and Sir Alex Ferguson on four League Cup wins at Wembley on Feb. 26.
Ferguson had said earlier in the week that Mourinho had “got to grips’’ with the managerial role at Old Trafford.
A major final will surely only further build confidence as United remain in the hunt for a Champions League qualification berth and stay competitive in three cup Competitions.
The EFL Cup may however not top the list of objectives for Red Devils fans.
But their team have shown a hunger to beat three Premier League teams on the way to Wembley in Hull, West Ham and Manchester City.
On his 54th birthday, Mourinho shuffled his pack, with Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard preferred to Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and United were deservedly beaten.
There were contentious moments, notably the penalty kick award and United had calls for their own spot-kick when Chris Smalling went down under Tom Huddlestone’s challenge after the break.
But on the night they had less of the ball, fewer shots than their hosts and were probably asked to work far harder than Mourinho would have liked.
Ultimately, though, they will bid for a fifth League Cup win.
However, with progress comes dilemma, as Mourinho will now see the depth of his squad tested.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the final match is arriving on the same day United were scheduled to face Manchester City in the league.
This is four days after the second leg of a Europa League tie at Saint-Etienne.(NAN)
