Two second-half goals from Juan Mata and Maroune Fellaini secured a 2-0 first leg win for Manchester United against Hull City in the English Football League Cup at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
The win was United’s ninth straight victory in all competitions this season.
It was a game United bossed from start to finish and they were unlucky not to have scored more than two goals.
Under new manager Marco Silva who replaced Mike Phelan, Hull were neat in possession as they had good spells in the game but were lacking in the final third.
United created the first real chance in the seventh minute only to see a goal-bound strike saved by Eldin Jakupovic.
Hull responded with an attack of their own in the ninth minute through Harry Maguire who drove forward but saw his low shot well saved by David De Gea.
In the 19th minute Hull were forced into an early change as Markus Henriksen went off injured and was replaced by Abel Hernandez.
Four minutes later Henrikh Mkhitaryan went close to breaking the deadlock from the edge of the box only to curl his effort over the bar.
United continued to dominate play and almost got on the score sheet in the 26th, 28th and 29th minutes through Antonio Valencia and Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford but they all failed to hit target.
In the second half, United continued to ask all the questions and were almost rewarded on 51 minutes but record chaser Wayne Rooney could not direct Paul Pogba’s pass towards goal as it went inches wide.
Hull’s resolve was finally broken as Mata gave United the lead on 56 minutes as he tapped in from close range off Mkhitaryan’s header.
Hull looked to strike back through Adams Diomande who tried an overhead kick but it went over the bar.
United almost doubled their lead in the 73rd minute but Pogba was unlucky to see his superb free-kick hit the post.
And in the 87th minute substitute Maroune Fellaini made it 2-0 for United, heading in Matteo Darmian’s cross.
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