FULL-TIME: NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0-3 MANCHESTER UNITED
90' +2
The visitors are controlling possession as they look to see out the remaining minutes with their three-goal advantage intact.
90'
There will be three minutes of additional time at the end of this match.
89'
Bruno Fernandes has scored a goal for Manchester United! Assist by A. Elanga.
Elanga's inventive pass was perfectly weighted to allow Fernandes to blast home United's third.
GOAL!!! What a strike!!! Fernandes gives United what could be an unassailable 3-0 lead in this tie. Elanga scoops the ball to Fernandes just inside the box, and the Portugal international fires a low first-time drive into the far corner past a despairing Hennessey.
87'
United are defending resolutely as they look to maintain their clean sheet and take an advantage back to Old Trafford for the second leg.
86'
A. Elanga enters the game and replaces W. Weghorst.
85'
Having opened his account for United, Weghorst makes way for Elanga.
84'
F. Pellistri gets yellow.
Pellistri is booked for bringing down Williams on the edge of the box.
Pellistri gives the ball away to Dennis in a threatening area, but Martinez bails out his team-mate by winning it back before Forest can take advantage.
79'
Pellistri picks out Weghorst with a powerful cross, but he misses the chance to grab his second of the game as his header flies harmlessly wide.
78'
Fred picks up the ball and tries his luck from range, but he gets it wrong and watches his effort fly into the stands.
Minute
Description
76'
Ten Hag's side are dominating possession at the minute and are probing for a third goal which could put the tie beyond Forest's reach.
74'
Williams' first action is to hoist a cross up to the back post, but Lingard mistimes his jump and the ball skims off his head for a goal-kick.
73'
N. Williams enters the game and replaces Renan Lodi.
L. O'Brien enters the game and replaces M. Gibbs-White.
Gibbs-White limps off, with O'Brien on in his place.
Cooper also brings on Williams for Lodi.
71'
Fred enters the game and replaces C. Eriksen.
F. Pellistri enters the game and replaces Antony.
Eriksen, so unlucky not to add a third when he hit the crossbar, makes way for Fred.
Antony is replaced by Pellistri in the first of a double change.
70'
Eriksen swings a corner in as the visitors look for a third, but Aurier is well-placed to clear upfield.
68'
Time is running out on the hosts if they are to haul themselves back into this first leg. While the tie would not be completely over were they to lose this first game, they would certainly be facing an uphill battle trying to overturn a deficit at Old Trafford.
64'
J. Lingard enters the game and replaces Gustavo Scarpa.
E. Dennis enters the game and replaces S. Surridge.
Lingard comes on against his former team, replacing the lively Scarpa.
Scarpa wins a corner for his team, but Gibbs-White's resulting delivery is poor and the opportunity is wasted.
Dennis is another to enter the fray, coming on for Surridge.
58'
J. Colback enters the game and replaces Danilo.
Colback comes on for Danilo in Forest's midfield.
57'
A. Garnacho enters the game and replaces M. Rashford.
Rashford, scorer of United's opening goal, makes way for Garnacho.
56'
Gibbs-White shows great skill to bring a ball down out of the air before letting fly, but he just pulls his shot a little and De Gea saves.
53'
Danilo sends a tame effort at goal from 25 yards out, which De Gea is able to comfortably get down to and gather.
52'
Some brilliant defending is required from Lindelof to nick the ball away from Johnson before the Forest man can get a shot away at goal.
48'
Antony lays a ball off to Weghorst and the striker looks to let fly. McKenna does excellently though to get back and block the shot behind for a corner, which then comes to nothing.
46'
Forest kick us off and we are underway again. Can they find a way back into this semi-final?
45' +2
HALF-TIME: NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0-2 MANCHESTER UNITED
45'
W. Weghorst has scored a goal for Manchester United!
GOAL!!! United double their advantage!!! Weghorst opens his tally for the club with a true poacher's finish. Antony saw a dipping shot saved by Hennessey, but only into the path of Weghorst, who fired home first time to make it 2-0 to the visitors.
42'
Fernandes tries an audacious cross with the outside of his right foot, but it has too much weight on it and goes behind harmlessly.
40'
Scarpa takes aim from 30 yards out, but his effort flies well over De Gea's crossbar for a goal-kick.
38'
The game has just hit a bit of a lull after a frantic opening. Can either side find a goal before half-time?
36'
Fernandes picks out Rashford, but the goalscorer's first touch is far too heavy and the ball runs away for a goal-kick.
31'
Johnson shows some quick feet to beat a couple of United defenders, but he loses composure at the crucial moment as he blazes over.
30'
The visitors are just enjoying a spell of possession here as they look for a period of calm following a couple of minutes of Forest pressure.
20'
Cooper's side win a corner as they look to get back on level terms. Scarpa whips the set-piece in, but the visitors are able to clear at the second attempt.
16'
Forest look in trouble every time Ten Hag's men come forward, and they are perhaps lucky not to be further behind. They will have to find some defensive solutions soon or they risk this cup tie getting away from them.
14'
Excellent build-up play sees United carve the hosts open again, but Antony cannot find the finish the move deserved as his curler goes wide.
12'
Surridge is set away down the left wing, but Martinez shows his class to dispossess the Forest man and stamp out the danger.
6'
M. Rashford has scored a goal for Manchester United! Assist by Casemiro.
GOAL!!! United take the lead!!! It is that man again, as Marcus Rashford continues his scoring streak with a brilliant finish. He picks up the ball on the left and drives into the box, leaving a couple of Forest defenders for dead. The forward takes a moment to compose himself, before firing powerfully past Hennessy to put his team 1-0 up.
Casemiro picked out Rashford before the England international's sublime run and finish to give United the advantage.
5'
It has been a cagey opening to the match which United have just slightly shaded. We are yet to have a real clear-cut chance though.
3'
There is an early mix-up in the Forest defence as Worrall struggles to deal with a ball into the box, but Fernandes cannot take advantage with his low cross cleared before Weghorst can get on the end of it.
1'
The visitors kick us off and we are underway at the City Ground.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the EFL Cup semi-final first leg between Nottingham Forest and Manchester United at the City Ground.
The hosts have won this competition four times, though their last success came in the 1989-90 season. That was Forest's last major trophy, but victories over the likes of Tottenham and Wolves in this campaign's edition have given fans hope they can get their name etched on the cup again.
The visitors meanwhile are looking to end a drought of their own, having last lifted silverware under Jose Mourinho in the 2016-17 season. After a tricky start to life as United manager, Erik ten Hag has guided the Red Devils to fourth in the Premier League, while they are the only English team left fighting on four fronts. They got to this stage by seeing off Charlton Athletic in the quarter-finals, and will be hoping to take a decent scoreline back to Old Trafford for the second leg.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-3-1-2): Wayne Hennessey; Serge Aurier, Joe Worrall, Scott McKenna, Renan Lodi; Danilo, Remo Freuler, Morgan Gibbs-White; Gustavo Scarpa; Sam Surridge, Brennan Johnson.
SUBS: Steve Cook, Jack Colback, Lewis O'Brien, Willy Boly, Jesse Lingard, Orel Mangala, Jordan Smith, Neco Williams, Emmanuel Dennis.
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): David de Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia; Casemiro, Christian Eriksen; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Wout Weghorst.
SUBS: Tom Heaton, Facundo Pellistri, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, Raphael Varane, Fred, Scott McTominay, Brandon Williams, Anthony Elanga.
The two teams are making their way out onto the pitch ahead of this first leg.
The Red Devils are firmly in the ascendancy, and Cooper will have to change something if Forest are to take a result back to Old Trafford for the second leg. How long will he leave it before looking to the likes of Lingard and Dennis off the bench?
Thanks for joining us for live coverage of Manchester United's 3-0 EFL Cup semi-final first-leg victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
The second leg will be played at Old Trafford on February 1, with Cooper's men needing a special performance if they are to overturn a three-goal deficit on opposition turf. United will be in FA Cup action before that game, hosting Reading in the fourth round on Saturday as they look to keep up their hunt for silverware in Ten Hag's first season in charge.
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