Manchester United 2 Hull City 0: Injuries strike again for Hull as Mata and Fellaini give Red Devils advantage in EFL Cup semi

United spurned several chances and the night was in danger of becoming a little more anxious than most home supporters had envisaged before Mata bundled home.

A trademark 86th-minute header from Fellaini - much to the relief of the watching Jose Mourinho - handed the Red Devils a decent buffer for the second leg on January 26.

While the hosts dominated in terms of possession and also had a number of opportunities, they were unable to put the tie completely to bed on home soil.

RATINGS: Manchester United 2 Hull City 0 - How the players rated at Old Trafford

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Jake Livermore was a key omission for Hull, missing the game through illness, with Tom Huddlestone taking his place in the back four, while Josh Tymon was handed a start in left midfield.

The early signs looked ominous for Hull, with a powerhouse United side cranking up the gas with Eldin Jakupovic making a splendid reaction save to beat away Mata's firm early drive.

A rare Hull foray saw Harry Maguire himself surge upfield before seeing his low shot gathered by David de Gea before the visitors then copped an untimely blow with Markus Henriksen stretchered off with an arm injury after failing awkwardly following a challenge with Paul Pogba.

United - without the ill Zlatan Ibrahimovic - regathered themselves and posed most of the questions before Hull enjoyed a positive spell before the break.

The hosts spurned decent chances earlier with Henrik Mhkitaryan showing a distinct lack of composure twice after being teed up by Juan Mata.

Jakupovic tipped over Pogba's stinging drive before Marcus Rashford blasted over with United unable to conjure an opener in the first half an hour despite dominating.

Hull handed the hosts a scare when Adama Diomande headed against the post from Snodgrass's free-kick, but a late offside flag was raised - and then Snodgrass saw his low shot held by De Gea.

City ended the half encouragingly with substitute Abel Hernandez testing De Gea before Jakupovic gathered Pogba's effort.

Attacking the Stretford End, United would have been expected to deliver with Rooney soon spurning the chance to become the club's leading scorer in his own right in front of the watching Sir Bobby Charlton by firing a great chance wide.

But Mata's strike soon applied the balm with the Spaniard bundling in after Mkhitaryan headed Antonio Valencia's deep cross towards goal.

A rare chance at the other end saw Diomande acrobatically fire over following David Meyler's cross before Pogba went close to a second with his fine free-kick hitting the post.

Substitute Sean Maloney spurned a chance moments after coming on for Hull, with United adding a late second when Fellaini rose above Robertson to head in Matteo Darmian's centre with Huddlestone unable to clear on the line.

ANALYSIS: By Leon Wobschall

"On the first anniversary of the passing of the late, great David Bowie, Hull were striving to be unlikely Heroes. Just for one day, at Old Trafford.

"Strictly speaking for the first time in almost 55 years, with the 55th anniversary of Hull's last win at the red side of Manchester arriving tomorrow in a 2-0 FA Cup success on January 12, 1952 - when George VI was still on the throne.

"Just as another man who Mourinho knows well in Aitor Karanka made it a far from straightforward day at the office on United's last home league game, so Silva's charges shown tenacity and defiance as Middlesbrough recently did until Mata broke their resistance in front of the Stretford End on 56 minutes to ease a spot of anxiety."

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