Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what promises to be another exciting night of cup football. Tonight we cover Sunderland vs. Manchester United as one of them look to take a big step towards reaching the League Cup final by gaining a first-leg advantage.

We'll start with a look at our hosts this evening, and things are beginning to look up for Sunderland at the moment. They moved into the FA Cup fourth round with a 3-1 win over Carlisle at the weekend and will fancy their chances of going all the way in this competition having already dispatched of the likes of Southampton and Chelsea.

The Black Cats have lost just once in their last seven matches in all competitions, a massive improvement on their form for the vast majority of the season. That defeat was a disappointing one to Aston Villa, but Gus Poyet's side have also recorded victories over the likes of Everton and Chelsea in that period.

However, while the form is certainly looking up, Sunderland are still left looking up at the 19 teams above them in the Premier League table. They are currently rock bottom of the top flight, four points adrift of safety and with only three wins in the league all season. Their priority will undoubtedly be survival this season, which could have an impact on their performance in tonight's match.

On the flip side of that, however, Poyet will be fully aware of how valuable a win could be for his side tonight. It would keep their good run of form going and nothing gives a team more confidence than a win over the reigning champions, so don't expect him to treat this match lightly tonight. The fact that a win would also give his side an advantage going into the second leg at Old Trafford would almost come as a bonus to the manager.

Should they lose badly, they would risk the doom and gloom that was suffocating the Stadium of Light earlier this season returning. There is plenty to be negative about for tonight's hosts - only one team have scored fewer in the Premier League this season, while only Fulham have conceded more than Sunderland's 33. It may also be in the back of Poyet's mind that Swansea's form deteriorated dramatically when they won this trophy last season.

However, such negative thoughts shouldn't be creeping into Poyet's psyche at the moment. His side are in decent form and in a cup semi-final, which is better than a lot of teams will manage this season. The victory over Chelsea, as underserved and last-gasp as it was, will give Sunderland plenty of confidence that they can beat the big boys in this tournament, and especially at the Stadium of Light.

Speaking of the Stadium of Light, Sunderland's home form has been very mixed so far this season. They have won seven, lost seven and drawn one of their 15 matches here in all competitions, although it should be noted that four of those victories did come in this competition. That bodes well for them tonight, but not so much in terms of their Premier League survival hopes.

While Sunderland's home form has been decent, United have also enjoyed success on their travels this season. They are unbeaten in their last 11 away matches, last tasting defeat in the 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City. They have only lost two away games all season and have won each of their last four.

The good news continues for travelling Red Devils when you compare that record to their one at the former-fortress Old Trafford. United have picked up just 14 points at home this season, while they have amassed 20 in away games in the Premier League.

That is just about where the good news ends for David Moyes and his side at the moment. United were dumped unceremoniously out of the FA Cup in the third round on Sunday, finding themselves on the receiving end of one of their own trademarks - a late goal. Swansea took advantage of having a man extra to eliminate United at Old Trafford, leaving this competition as their only realistic chance of silverware this season.

Even accounting for the fact that this in Manchester United we're talking about, it is hard to see them overcoming the 11-point gap that currently separates them from the top of the Premier League table, while it would take something special for David Moyes to find a way past the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Champions League. Moyes never did win silverware at Everton, so the League Cup is not only his chance to win a major trophy with the Red Devils, but a chance to pick up a first winners medal of his own.

You can be sure, then, that Moyes will take this match seriously tonight. The added incentive for him is to get United back to winning ways. The Scot looked like he was finally settling into Sir Alex's shoes when he finished 2013 with six consecutive wins in all competitions, but he has begun 2014 with back-to-back defeats at home. It's not often you get a chance to say that United have lost every match they have played this year.

They certainly have the attributes to at least launch a charge for the top four in the second half of the season. The Red Devils have scored the most goals outside the Premier League's top four teams, while only Southampton outside the top five have conceded fewer. That won't be much consolation to the United fans who are used to topping the table from start to finish, but it is at least something to build upon this year.

They have done well to get this far in the League Cup as they certainly haven't had an easy ride. They were drawn against arch-rivals Liverpool in the third round before also beating Norwich and then Stoke in the last round. Should United go on to win the trophy, they will have beaten Premier League opposition throughout.

TEAM NEWS: Right, time for some team news I think! The big news from United's point of view is that Wayne Rooney again misses out through injury having failed a late fitness test. With Van Persie also sidelined, Welbeck starts the match up front on his own. De Gea, Vidic and Evra all return to the side, however. Sunderland have three former United players in their defence in the form of Phil Bardsley, Wes Brown and John O'Shea, while Alonso makes his club debut alongside them in the backline. Full team news for both sides on the way...

SUNDERLAND STARTING XI: Mannone; Bardsley, Alonso, Brown, O'Shea; Larsson, Cattermole, Ki, Giaccherini; Borini, Fletcher

SUNDERLAND SUBS: Gardner, Johnson, Celustka, Colback, Altidore, Ji, Dixon

MAN UTD STARTING XI: De Gea; Rafael, Vidic, Evans, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Cleverley, Januzaj, Giggs; Welbeck

MAN UTD SUBS: Lindegaard, Smalling, Hernandez, Fletcher, Kagawa, Büttner, Zaha

So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, it is a big boost to have the likes of Brown and O'Shea back fit and healthy. Sunderland have been going through something of an injury crisis in defence in recent weeks, making their respective returns invaluable to the team. Of course, they will know United inside out having played under Sir Alex Ferguson for so long, so they will be looking to use that knowledge to their advantage tonight.

It will be interesting to see how Marcos Alonso fares this evening. This isn't his first taste of English football having previously enjoyed a spell at Bolton Wanderers, but to make your Sunderland debut in a semi-final against Manchester United is certainly a baptism of fire. Still, there aren't many games that Poyet could have eased him into at this stage of the season as every league game will be a relegation battle from now on!

The biggest threat to the United defence will be Fletcher, who can be a real handful on his day. He is very strong in the air, which ties in well with having someone like Larsson whipping dangerous deliveries into the box, but his aerial dominance will certainly be challenged by Nemanja Vidic this evening. Larsson, Ki, Giaccherini and Borini are all capable of weighing in with a goal should the chance arise, while Cattermole should give them some bite in the middle of the park - he just needs to make sure he stays on the field!

As for United, they have a mini-injury crisis at the moment, and it has come at one of the worst possible times for David Moyes. Fellaini, Nani, Van Persie, Rooney, Ferdinand and Jones are all out through injury, while Fabio is unavailable after his red card against Swansea on Sunday.

Despite that, Moyes has been able to name a decent side for tonight's match. The back five is more or less the strongest that he would be able to pick with a full-strength squad, perhaps swapping Evans for Ferdinand in the centre. The midfield seems to have a nice balance to it, with Valencia providing his driving runs down the right flank and Januzaj, who really announced himself on the Premier League stage in the meeting between these two sides earlier this season, able to float around in the hole behind Welbeck.

Often when a team in out of form, the best thing a manager can do is revert to good, old fashioned hard work. There are certainly plenty of grafters in this United team tonight, with the likes of Cleverley, Valencia and Welbeck guaranteed to run all night long. Giggs may not fall directly into that category, but he is as experienced as they come and knows the best ways to influence a game. He has been in countless semi-finals, so he could be an important player for the visitors tonight.

Welbeck alone up front is perhaps the weakest part of the team, although the England international has been enjoying a good scoring streak of late. If he can keep that up while Rooney and Van Persie are out then United may not even feel their absence much, but Welbeck isn't the most naturally prolific of strikers, so I wouldn't be surprised if the goals dried up a bit sooner or later.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at the Stadium of Light, which means that it is time for my match prediction! With Sunderland's improved recent form and United's back-to-back losses, the Black Cats will certainly go into tonight's game fancying their chances. However, their squad isn't as capable of dealing with two games in just over 48 hours as well as United's is, and that could be a major factor this evening. I wouldn't be surprised if the hosts were able to nick a draw, but I'm going to plump for 2-1 to United.

Unsurprisingly, United boast a far superior record to Sunderland in this tournament. They have reached the final eight times, winning the trophy itself on four occasions. Sunderland, meanwhile, have only reached the final once, losing to Norwich in 1985 and going on to get relegated from the top flight that season - ominous signs for the Black Cats, perhaps?

Sunderland will not be able to look back at their recent performances against United for any source of inspiration either. They have not beaten the Red Devils in their last 20 meetings in all competitions, losing each of their last six. The last time that United lost on Wearside was way back in 2000, when Kevin Phillips was amongst the scorers in a 2-1 win after extra time for the Black Cats. The twist? That was the last time they met in the League Cup.

The most recent meeting between these two teams took place in October in the league, with United winning 2-1 here thanks to a brace from Adnan Januzaj. Craig Gardner put Sunderland ahead earlier on, but the youngster produced a standout performance to help his side recover all three points from a losing position.

A reminder that the winner of this tie will face either Manchester City or West Ham United in the final. This is, of course, the first leg in the semis, with the second due to be played on January 22.

It is by no means a full house for the match tonight, which is a shame to see considering the occasion. Many fans don't rate the League Cup too highly, but this is still a cup semi-final, and Sunderland don't reach them too often, so you'd expect to see more here.

KICKOFF: United get us underway at the Stadium of Light as they look to put their FA Cup exit behind them at the expense of Sunderland. Can they do it? The next 90 minutes will provide all the answers!

Sunderland are seeing plenty of the ball early on, which Poyet will be delighted with. There are bound to be nerves out there playing in a semi-final against a team on United's size, but the opening few minutes have settled a few of those.

United are trying to close the hosts down high up the pitch, but the likes of O'Shea and Brown are comfortable enough knocking the ball with opposition players in close attendance.

The visitors just can't get hold of the ball at the moment. They are chasing shadows have have been doing so since the opening whistle. United don't seem to have that fear factor about them anymore - teams aren't scared to take them on and play football against them.

Alonso gets an early chance to show what he can do in the attacking third, and he sends a superb low cross into a very dangerous area between the defence and the keeper. No Sunderland players had made the run, but it was a very good delivery from the debutant.

United show a bit of attacking intent for the first time tonight as Januzaj wins a corner off Bardsley, but Sunderland get the resulting delivery clear with relative ease. The visitors have been very disappointing so far.

Borini and Fletcher link up just outside the United box, and it is the former who gets the first shot of the night away. He span away from his man but scuffed his effort and it trickled tamely wide for a goal kick.

Sunderland keep the ball really well for a long period in the United half before Alonso finally crosses it into the box. Vidic gets a decent header to it but can only clear it as far as Larsson, whose cross from the edge of the area was blocked.

Sunderland have not looked a team languishing at the bottom of the Premier League table so far in this match. They have been the better side and, although they haven't tested De Gea yet, they have certainly looked like the most dangerous side in general play.

SAVE! Mannone is the first keeper to be forced into a save this evening, but it is a simple one. Welbeck found himself in a bit of space from around 30 yards out, but he didn't catch hold of his effort properly and it rolled into the arms of the Sunderland keeper.

There are already signs of United getting frustrated here. They have given the ball away far too often, and that is firing up the crowd as well. Sunderland have had 54% possession in the opening 20 minutes.

Alonso swings another good ball towards the back post having not been tracked by Rafael or Valencia, but Fletcher is just a yard or so short of making contact with it for what would have been a simple finish. Alonso is causing problems down that wing.

Alonso is involved again as he wins a free kick from Valencia in a good crossing position. Larsson uncharacteristically wastes the chance, however, putting too much on his cross and seeing it fly behind for a goal kick.

Januzaj skips away from a couple tackles before finally being sliced down by Bardsley, giving United a free kick in a shooting position.

YELLOW CARD! Januzaj's initial free kick hits the wall, but United manage to recycle the ball and deliver it into the area again. Evra has stayed up but clearly handball it in the box as the cross looks like going over him, and he is rightly shown the first card of the night.

OFF THE BAR! United come within inches of breaking the deadlock! Giggs is given acres of space in midfield to carry the ball within shooting range. When he doesn't eventually let fly, his effort takes a deflection that lifts it beyond the keeper and onto the top of the bar. So close!

United are just starting to come back into this match now and they have shown signs of the United we are more used to seeing in the last few minutes. Sunderland are not been allowed to pass the ball around so easily in the visitors' half anymore, and it is suddenly the hosts who are struggling to make any ground in attack.

The pressure is beginning to build on the hosts here. United are coming forward in numbers and have had a few half-chances to create openings without making the most of them.

The possession stats shows exactly how this match has swung in the last 10 minutes. In the opening 20 Sunderland had 54% of the ball, but since then United have enjoyed 70%.

Welbeck again finds himself in a bit of space from a fair distance out and, again, chooses to go for goal. It was the same idea and the same result as earlier as he curled his effort high and wide over the bar.

Welbeck leads a counter but is all on his own, so has to hold the ball up while support joins him. He does that well before picking out Januzaj, who has been left open thanks largely to a great run from deep by Giggs. Januzaj is eventually forced out wide, but he still produces a decent curling effort that is well blocked when it looked destined for the far corner.

Welbeck sprints up to try to press the Sunderland defence high up the field, but it is useless doing it on his own. The hosts just pass it around him, eventually making the United striker fall over - something the home fans enjoyed a lot.

DISALLOWED GOAL! United think that they have taken the lead through Januzaj yet again at the Stadium of Light, but the linesman's flag cuts their celebrations short. Januzaj's initial effort bounced off Giggs, who was in an offside position, before falling back to the youngster, who slotted it home.

Just five minutes to go until the break now, and it has been an even half on the whole so far. Sunderland will be delighted with their performance as they look just as capable of scoring as United do at the moment.

That being said, United are seeing more and more of the ball at the moment. In the first 20 minutes they could barely get near it and gave it away with careless passes whenever they did finally get hold of possession, but as the match has worn on United have improved in that respect.

Good play from Januzaj as he exchanges a one-two down the left before putting a low cross into a dangerous area. It takes a very good piece of defending to turn the ball behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.

The fourth official's board shows a minimum of one minute added time at the end of this first half.

Sunderland take the lead right on the stroke of half time! The hosts are awarded a free kick as the minute of stoppage time expired, and from it they break the deadlock. It was swung in towards the back post when Wes Brown nodded it back across goal. Phil Bardsley and Ryan Giggs both slid in for it, and it may have actually come off the United veteran before going over the line. Whoever scored it, Sunderland have a valuable lead!

What a huge blow that is for David Moyes and Manchester United right on the stroke of half time! Their most experienced and decorated player bundled the ball into his own net in time added on to the initial time added on, giving Sunderland a narrow lead at the halfway stage of the first leg.

To be fair to Giggs, it was by no means a calamitous own goal. He had to do something to try to stop the ball as, without him, Bardsley had a simple tap in from close range. Still, that won't be much consolation to him at the break. It is a situation that he won't be too familiar with - I wonder how many own goals in his hundreds of appearances Giggs has scored for United?

In addition to the United stalwart that scored the own goal, two former United players were heavily involved with it. It was Wes Brown who nodded Larsson's free kick into a very dangerous area and Bardsley's threat that caused Giggs to slide in a poke it into his own net.

Ironically, it was Giggs who had come closest to scoring before that dramatic end to the half. He was afforded far too much room in the middle and carried the ball to within shooting range before unleashing an effort that deflected off a defender and against the bar.

Other than Giggs' interventions at either end of the field, we have not had much goalmouth action in tonight's match. It has been quite an entertaining game, with both sides playing their part, but in terms of chances it has been fairly barren. That should change in the second half now that United have to chase the match.

KICKOFF: We're back underway in the second half as Sunderland kick us off again at the Stadium of Light. Can they defend this lead to take into the second leg at Old Trafford, or will United be able to launch a trademark comeback?

United have started this half better, settling in quickly and looking to get themselves level again straight away. They haven't tested Mannone yet in this second half, but they are keeping hold of the ball a lot better than they did at the start of the first half.

Vidic gets a long talking to from the ref after committing his latest foul. You'd have to think that his next would see him going into the book.

Evra drives down the left and drills a low cross into the box that is just behind Welbeck. A yard or two further forward and that would've been a good chance for the striker.

YELLOW CARD! Giaccherini becomes the first Sunderland player in the book for a handball right on the edge of his own box. The more pressing matter will be the free kick, though.

United are level, and it is their captain who leads by example with the goal. The free kick was nodded behind for a corner, from which Vidic rose higher than both Brown and O'Shea to plant a firm header into the corner past Mannone. Good finish from the Serb, and what a big goal that could be in this tie.

You have to say that it was a deserved equaliser. United have been the better team in this second half and Sunderland are struggling to find their feet in the match now having matched their opponents for much of the first half.

SAVE! Januzaj controls the ball 20 yards from goal and only has one thought on his mind. He spins and shoots quickly on the half volley, but his effort is easy for Mannon as it bounces into his arms.

SUNDERLAND SUB: Gus Poyet makes his first change of the day as Adam Johnson comes on to replace Giaccherini, who was on a yellow.

CHANCE! Good opening for Sunderland to regain the lead, but Borini doesn't make the most of it. The loanee striker was released by a fine Fletcher header and looked to be clean through on goal, but a mixture of lack of pace and too many touches allow Rafael and Evans to get back and Borini can only slice his effort wide of the near post.

Sunderland are awarded a free kick in a very good position, and it is no surprised to see Seb Larsson standing over it. His effort is a disappointing one, however, as he curls it well over the bar.

YELLOW CARD! Bardsley just gives Januzaj a kick to let him know he's there, and is duly booked for the challenge. It was a late, needless one from behind, so he can have no complaints at the card.

MAN UTD SUB: Evans is the first United player to make way, and it looks like it could be an enforced one as he limps off the field with an apparent back injury. Chris Smalling comes on in his place.

SAVE! Big save from De Gea as he denies Larsson a glorious chance. Vidic failed to get an initial cross clear, instead simply nodding it straight to Larsson inside the box. The midfielder swung a leg at it first time, but De Gea reacted quickly to push it away. Very good save.

What a huge moment that could be in the tie! The hosts are awarded a penalty after a clumsy challenge from Cleverley on Adam Johnson. The ref didn't initially look like he was going to award it, but his official signalled for a spot kick and Andre Marriner obliged by pointing at the spot. Up stepped Fabio Borini to slam it into the roof of the net, sending De Gea the wrong way.

This is almost a mirror image of Sunday as Rafael is in danger of getting himself sent off just two days after his twin brother Fabio did exactly that. The right-back was booked in the immediate aftermath of the penalty being given, and he just put in a late challenge on Borini that could have drawn a second yellow. However, I think the referee has done the right thing by not dismissing him there.

Superb from Johnson as he produces a burst of pace to move past two men and into a shooting position. The only disappointing thing about it is the finish, as he fires his effort over the bar from just outside the box.

CLOSE! Equally impressive play at the other end from Januzaj as he shows good feet to take the ball onto his right before curling a fine effort just a yard or so round the post. That was not far away from the youngster, who has impressed so far today.

SUNDERLAND SUB: Fletcher goes down under a challenge and will not be able to continue. It didn't look too serious so this could be a precaution, but on comes Altidore in his place.

Huge challenge from Brown as he launches himself at Cleverley just as the United midfielder was about to let fly from 25 yards. He got all of the ball and made an important block on a shot that looked like it could cause problems.

MAN UTD SUB: That will be Cleverley's last action as he is replaced by Darren Fletcher, who is still easing himself back into first-team football following a lengthy absence.

The home fans are really enjoying this at the moment. Their team are playing well, taking a big step towards a cup final and, perhaps most importantly, beating Manchester United. Remember, they have not won any of their last 20 matches against the Red Devils.

Inventive play from Januzaj as he flashes a volley towards goal having been teed up by Fletcher. He had to adjust his body quickly to get to that, but he still couldn't steer it on target.

YELLOW CARD! Altidore goes into the book, and he really can't have any complaints with this one. Rafael tangled with the big striker from a free kick, resulting in the American almost body slamming the full-back to the floor.

CLOSE! Januzaj is not giving this one up by any means! He comes close again as he chips a low ball towards the far corner, only to see his effort land on the roof of the net. That was good play from the youngster, who just got in front of O'Shea in the box.

Evra is the latest to go for goal, but once again the strike is off target and Sunderland's lead survives. The full-back escaped his marker on the edge of the box and tried to curl it into the far corner with the outside of his boot, only to send it a couple of yards wide.

The match is starting to turn into a bit of an attack vs. defence training drill, and I don't expect that to change much in the closing stages. It's time for Sunderland to batten down the hatches.

YELLOW CARD! Smalling mis-controls a pass and Altidore looks like taking advantage of it until Smalling flicks the ball away with his hand. He is rightly booked for the handball.

The ball is hung up inside the Sunderland box and Welbeck rises highest to meet it, but he can't get any power on his header and it bounces comfortably into the arms of Mannone. United are running out of time here!

Carrick tries to thread the ball through to Carrick, but it is just too heavy for the veteran to catch. Very good idea by Carrick, though.

MAN UTD SUB: When you need a goal, this isn't a bad player to be able to bring on. Javier Hernandez enters the fray for the final few moments, replacing Valencia.

The Sunderland defence is still holding strong at the moment as United struggle to get through the 10, and sometimes 11 men behind the ball. Every second will feel like a minute for the Black Cats here though, as they inch closer to another major scalp at home this season.

There will be a minimum of five minutes added time. Plenty of time for United to get an equaliser, then. Sunderland will be wondering where those stoppages have come from!

Carrick flashes a shot wide from outside the area having seen all of his potential passing avenues blocked by red and white striped shirts. Cue the cheers from the home fans, who are getting ready to go wild at the final whistle. Just three minutes to go...

Poyet is still asking where those five minutes have come from on the touchline. Meanwhile, his side have a free kick in a good position on the field and the ball eventually falls out to Johnson, who gives into the crowd's desire to see him shoot but scuffs his effort wide.

YELLOW CARD! Mannone picks up a late yellow card for time wasting as he spent a while lining up a goal kick before deciding he wanted to take it from the other side of his six-yard box.

Sunderland hold on for a huge victory as they take a big step towards the League Cup final with a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in the semi-final first leg this evening. A Ryan Giggs own goal got them on their way before Fabio Borini scored from the spot having seen Vidic level the sides earlier in the second half. It is Sunderland first win in 21 matches over Manchester United, and you can be sure that they will savour it.

It is yet more misery for MOyes, however. His side may not be out of the League Cup just yet but, considering they have a better away record than they do at home this season, he may not be approaching the second leg at Old Trafford with much confidence. United are still without a win in 2014, while they have now lost three games in a row - the first time that has happened for almost 13 years.

Right, that's all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a thoroughly entertaining night of League Cup football - providing you're not a Manchester United fan. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction and analysis, which will be up on site shortly. The second semi-final between Manchester City and West Ham takes place tomorrow, and we will, of course, have it covered live for you, so check back in for that. For now, though, it is goodbye from me!