Pogba: Finish The Tie Tonight

Paul Pogba has challenged his Manchester United team-mates to “finish” the EFL Cup semi-final with Hull City at Old Trafford tonight, with a testing second leg at the KCOM Stadium ahead.

While the Tigers are bottom of the Premier League following a poor start to the season, Pogba knows trips to East Riding in Yorkshire can be difficult after the Reds’ hard-earned 1-0 victory there back in August.

With that challenge still fresh in the mind - and a place in the EFL Cup final up for grabs – United's world-record signing is keen to secure a convincing first-leg success at the Theatre of Dreams this evening.

“It’s a game we want to win of course,” Paul told MUTV. “It’s a semi-final, we want to be in the final and we want to win that cup. If we have the chance to win any trophy we want to take it. It’s an important game for us and the second leg will be difficult so let’s try to finish the tie in the first leg.

“It’s a cup semi-final and they’re playing against Man United so they have nothing to lose. They’ll want to take anything that they can as they’re not doing as well as they’d like at this moment. They’ve had a change of manager too and will want to win this game as it’s very important for them.

“We’ve been playing very well, but we know how football can go. You can go out there and things can turn straightaway. We need to be focused and if we keep playing the football we are playing at the moment then we will be okay.”

Quizzed on his desire to progress, Pogba continued: “I am a winner and when I play I want to win. Every league game, every cup game, I want to win otherwise there is no point in playing football! I want to win my first trophy with United and if we have a chance in the cup we have to take it.”

Pogba is expected to return to United’s starting XI against Hull after sitting on the bench throughout Saturday’s FA Cup third-round win over Reading. Having already made 26 appearances this season, the chance to rest his legs was a blessing for the former Juventus man.

“Yes it’s always good for a player to rest for one game,” Pogba told us. “I was on the bench ready to come on if I was needed; you always have to be ready. I’ve been playing a lot recently so it’s good for me physically and we’ll see how the next games go.”