Manchester United survived a scare to reach the League Cup final after Oumar Niasse's late goal earned Hull City a 2-1 victory in Thursday's semi-final second leg. Leading 2-0 from the first leg, United saw their advantage at an ice-cold KCOM Stadium halved by Tom Huddlestone's 35th-minute penalty and then restored by Paul Pogba's second-half strike.
Niasse's goal set up a nervy finish for Jose Mourinho's men, but they survived to complete a 3-2 aggregate win that sets up a date with Southampton in the final at Wembley on February 26.
"I just want to say congratulations to my players," said Mourinho, who seemed to be aggrieved about Hull's penalty.
"It was a difficult road to be in the final and we are in the final." It will be United's first League Cup final since 2010, when they beat Aston Villa 2-1, and with Southampton having cleared Liverpool from their path, they will go into the game as favourites.
Hull once again showed signs of stiffened resolve under new coach Marco Silva and could console themselves with a first win over United since a 2-0 success at the old Boothferry Park in November 1974.
The club also used the occasion to show their support for Ryan Mason, recovering in hospital after fracturing his skull at Chelsea on Sunday, with T-shirts bearing his name and a minute's applause.
"It was a good win, but not enough for our goal," said Silva.
"I congratulated the players in the dressing room."
A paltry home crowd reflected both the significant edge that Marouane Fellaini's late header had given United in the first leg and ongoing dissent towards Hull's owner Assem Allam.
Silva's decision to make seven changes to his starting XI, meanwhile, did not seem to indicate a desperate desire to turn the tie around.
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