United's 13 Previous League Cup Semi-finals

Manchester United have a proud record when it comes to success at the business end of cup runs, featuring in 97 semi-finals across all competitions prior to this month's tie against Hull City.

Thirteen of those semi-finals have come in the EFL Cup - or the Football League Cup, to use its original name - and United have progressed to the final nine times, losing the other four. One of the defeats was inflicted by Jose Mourinho, whose Chelsea side knocked United out with a second-leg win at Old Trafford - on his birthday 12 years ago!

The current Reds manager told MUTV this week: "The last time I had a match on my birthday was 26 January 2005, Old Trafford, the League Cup semi-final and it was Manchester United 1 Chelsea 2. We were going to extra-time but we [Chelsea] scored in the last five minutes and we went to the final. So let's see if this time I have that birthday gift too – of going to my first final with Manchester United."

That triumph at Old Trafford led to Mourinho winning the first of his three League Cups as Chelsea manager, while United have won the competition four times so far, all under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Portuguese boss is aiming to increase both of those tallies this term as he takes his team into Thursday's semi-final second leg match at the KCOM Stadium, leading 2-0 after goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini in the first leg a fortnight ago.

As the Reds prepare to compete for a place in the 2017 final at Wembley, where Southampton lie in wait, we're looking back at how United have fared in League Cup semi-final second legs over the years – starting with the first, almost five decades ago…

1969 - 17 December: United 2 Manchester City 2 (Lost 3-4 on aggregate)
The Reds' first ever League Cup semi-final proved to be a close-run thing against the club's local rivals but ended in disappointment after a narrow defeat over two legs. After a late penalty condemned United to a 2-1 defeat at Maine Road, Wilf McGuinness’s side knew only a win would be enough to progress and were on course to achieve it when goals from Paul Edwards and Denis Law cancelled out Ian Bowyer’s opener at Old Trafford. But there was to be a devastating sting in the tail as Mike Summerbee’s equaliser for City proved decisive and ended the Reds’ pursuit of the trophy.

1970 - 23 December: Aston Villa 2 United 1 (Won 3-2 on aggregate)
There was to be little festive cheer for the Reds as the Villans proved to be party poopers in the first of six meetings between the sides in the competition to date. After Brian Kidd scored in a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Old Trafford, the Manchester-born forward looked to have put United on route to an all-important victory at Villa Park – where the Reds have established a formidable record over the years. But it proved to be as good as it would get for McGuiness’s men as goals from Villa’s Andy Lochhead and Pat McMahon turned the tie on its head and meant the wait for the Reds' maiden appearance in a League Cup final went on.

1975 - 22 January: Norwich 1 United 0 (Lost 2-3 on aggregate)
The Reds' venture in the competition ended at the last-four stage following a closely-fought battle against the 1973 runners-up. A scoring double from Lou Macari looked to have been enough to secure United a first-leg win before Ted MacDougall’s late equaliser for the Canaries at Old Trafford. It left the second leg tantalisingly poised at Carrow Road but, despite the visitors' best efforts, Norwich’s Player of the Year Colin Suggett scored the only goal nine minutes into the second half to settle the tie in their favour.

1983 - 23 February: United 2 Arsenal 1 (Won 6-3 on aggregate)
This was a landmark occasion for the Reds, who advanced to a first-ever final appearance in the competition after proving more than a match for the Gunners in a thrilling last-four showdown. After Norman Whiteside, Frank Stapleton and a Steve Coppell brace gave United a 4-2 win at Highbury, Ron Atkinson’s men were in good shape heading into the second leg. Despite losing Bryan Robson to an ankle ligament injury early on, the Reds were determined to finish the job and give the Old Trafford crowd something to smile about. Coppell put further daylight between the sides in the 73rd minute and, after Raphael Meade notched for the Gunners, Kevin Moran’s last-gasp winner on the night sealed a convincing aggregate triumph but United had to settle for runners-up medals after a 2-1 final defeat by Liverpool at Wembley.

1991 - 24 February: Leeds United 0 United 1 (Won 3-1 on aggregate)
The clubs that would battle for the league title a year later contested a place in the 1991 League Cup final with two close games at Old Trafford and Elland Road. Goals from Lee Sharpe and Brian McClair on home turf gave the Reds a 2-1 lead at the halfway stage before a hostile reception awaited for the decisive away leg. The travelling fans were sent home happy from West Yorkshire after Sharpe struck again in the 90th minute to seal a deserved win - but a second final appearance ended in disappointment with a 1-0 Wembley defeat to a Sheffield Wednesday side managed by former Reds boss Ron Atkinson.

1992 - 11 March: United 2 Middlesbrough 1 (Won 2-1 on aggregate)
It was the last season the Reds spent in the old First Division but the campaign yielded a first for the club - the first time the League Cup was brought into the Old Trafford trophy room. As has been the case on numerous occasions down the years, there was little to choose between the two sides during the semi-final as Sir Alex Ferguson’s men were taken the distance by a resolute Middlesbrough. After a largely uninspiring first leg at Ayresome Park ended goalless, almost 46,000 fans packed inside Old Trafford to see if the Reds could progress. Despite the muddy conditions, Lee Sharpe finished off a well-worked move to put United ahead and, although Bernie Slaven levelled for Boro to force extra-time, Ryan Giggs settled matters with a close-range volley. Success in the competition had eluded the Reds, after defeats in the club's two previous finals, but it proved to be third time lucky as Brian McClair’s goal saw off Nottingham Forest at Wembley.

1994 - 2 March: Sheffield Wednesday 1 United 4 (Won 5-1 on aggregate)
Unusually, if history is anything to go by, the Reds were at home for the first leg of the last-four tie against the Owls, who had established some pedigree in the competition in the preceding years having won it for the first time in 1990/91 and finishing runners-up in 1992-93. Ryan Giggs slotted home from the tightest of angles to give United a slender lead heading to Hillsborough, where early goals from Brian McClair and Andrei Kanchelskis and a brace from Mark Hughes sealed a comfortable victory for the Reds. But unfortunately there was to be no repeat in the final as United went on to lose 3-1 against Aston Villa at Wembley.

2003 - 22 January: Blackburn Rovers 1 United 3 (Won 4-2 on aggregate)
It was another all-Premier League affair for the Reds which presented a tough assignment against a Blackburn side who had won the competition the year before. The first leg at Old Trafford had a Paul Scholes strike cancelled out by David Thompson in the second half to leave the tie finely balanced. Andy Cole famously struck against his former club to give Rovers an aggregate lead early in the second leg at Ewood Park before the Reds hit back through a brace from the in-form Scholes and a Ruud van Nistelrooy penalty. The club’s fifth appearance in the final wasn’t a memorable one for United, losing 2-0 at the hands of fierce rivals Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

2005 - 26 January: United 1 Chelsea 2 (Lost 1-2 on aggregate)
There was much anticipation surrounding the tie as the two heavyweights, fighting for supremacy in the Premier League, were pitched together for a tense battle which had fans on the edge of their seats but left United supporters wondering what might have been. With the tie delicately poised after a Stamford Bridge stalemate, Ryan Giggs cancelled out Frank Lampard’s opener in the second leg at Old Trafford with a stunning chip. But, just as extra time loomed, Damien Duff broke the hosts' hearts with a free-kick five minutes from time to send current Reds boss Mourinho and his Chelsea side through to the final against Liverpool, as Sir Alex Ferguson suffered his first defeat in a domestic semi-final as United manager.

2006 - 25 January: United 2 Blackburn 1 (Won 3-2 on aggregate)
Not for the first time, the Reds were drawn against Blackburn in the last four and found the going tough against a well-drilled Rovers side, managed by former United striker Mark Hughes. After a keenly-contested away leg finished 1-1, the Reds got off to the perfect start at Old Trafford when Ruud van Nistelrooy fired home early on but, after Steven Reid’s equaliser for Rovers, the Dutch striker couldn’t get the better of Brad Friedel from the penalty spot. That miss meant it was all to play for in the second half but a fine volley by Louis Saha, who also scored in the first leg, sent United through to the final, where the Reds ran riot with a four-goal thumping of Wigan to lift the trophy at the Millenium Stadium.

2009 - 20 January: United 4 Derby County 2 (Won 4-3 on aggregate)
It may not have been the most glamorous semi-final the Reds have played in but, despite the best efforts of a brave Derby side, Sir Alex Ferguson's English, European and World club champions eventually took care of business to book another Wembley date. In front of an expectant Old Trafford crowd, United quickly wiped out the visitors’ 1-0 first-leg advantage with a trademark long-distance effort by Nani and further strikes from John O’Shea and Carlos Tevez and a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty put the tie beyond the Rams' reach. Although a Giles Barnes brace gave the Championship side a glimmer of hope, United deservedly prevailed and went on to lift the first domestic silverware of the season with a penalty shootout success against Tottenham, after 120 nail-biting minutes without a goal.

2010 - 25 January: United 3 Manchester City 1 (Won 4-3 on aggregate)
The Reds once again swatted aside the rising challenge of local rivals City in an epic tussle seven years ago. Carlos Tevez’s brace against his old club had given the Blues the edge heading into the second leg at Old Trafford but United, roared on by an incredible atmosphere, overturned the deficit through strikes by Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick. Despite Tevez's flick bringing the aggregate score level, the Reds piled on the pressure late on and were rewarded in dramatic fashion as Wayne Rooney powerfully headed in a Ryan Giggs cross to send the home crowd wild. Rooney went on to score another headed winner as the Reds retained the trophy, beating Aston Villa 2-1 in the final to win the competition for a fourth time.

2014 - 22 January: United 2 Sunderland 1 (Lost 1-2 on penalties; 3-3 on aggregate)
It was a case of so near yet so far for the Reds three years ago after a night of drama and agony at the Theatre of Dreams. Not for the first time United had to come from behind after a first-leg defeat but were up to the task as Jonny Evans levelled the tie with a fine first-half finish. Events took a turn for the worse when Sunderland’s Phil Bardsley looked to have haunted his former club with a goal in the 119th minute, but with seconds of extra-time remaining, Javier Hernandez popped up with a decisive goal to rescue David Moyes’s team and force a penalty shoot-out. However, it wasn’t to be the Reds' night as only Darren Fletcher could convert from the spot for the hosts and the Black Cats went on to lose the final to Manchester City.