Andre Onana’s tumultuous season took another turn for the worse on Thursday night, as his two critical errors contributed to Manchester United’s 2-2 draw against Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final. The match highlighted not only Onana’s struggles but a brewing tension between him and teammate Nemanja Matic, who had criticized the goalkeeper’s performance in the lead-up to the game.
In the build up to that crunch tie, Onana was dragged into a Twitter spat with Matic. The latter had been publicly challenging Onana’s places, calling him one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United history. In the days and weeks after the match, it was clear that Onana’s reaction was the opposite of what the team required.
Match Overview
Onana’s first mistake occurred when he failed to handle Thiago Almada’s bouncing free-kick, allowing Lyon to take an early lead. His second mistake came shortly after. He promptly let a shot from Georges Mikautadze slip into Rayan Cherki’s path and Cherki pounced, decisively doubling Lyon’s lead.
These blunders were pivotal in a match that saw Manchester United equalize twice, yet Onana’s contributions ultimately overshadowed his team’s efforts. The media’s portrayal of his performance as cringeworthy captures the agony expressed by coaches, fans and football analysts across the media universe.
“If you are one of the worst ‘keepers in Manchester United history, you need to take care.” – Nemanja Matic
Onana’s most recent performance is an extension of his growing history at Manchester United. That’s now the ninth time he’s made an error leading directly to a goal. As the pressure mounts, so too is the pressure on Cairney’s shoulders as his future as the club’s No. 1 is still questionable.
Team Reactions
In the aftermath of the match, both Matic and Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim criticized Onana’s performance. So, it’s important now for Onana to not look too much on the past mistakes and focus on what is coming.” Amorim said.
“It’s important [for Andre Onana] to focus on the next game in the Premier League, then think about the second leg.” – Ruben Amorim
Amorim added that if one player makes mistakes, the whole day’s work can crumble. He highlighted Onana’s blunders as particularly damaging, including Manchester United’s loss to Olympique Lyonnais.
“Against Lyon, when one player makes a mistake, the whole team makes a mistake.” – Ruben Amorim
Despite the setbacks, Amorim remained hopeful about the team’s prospects for the second leg, insisting that they would continue with their training regimen and tactical preparations.
Looking Ahead
Manchester United prepares for second leg vs Lyon. It seems that both players and fans can sense the burden of expectations weighing heavily on Onana’s performance. It’s now up to the team to regroup and overcome the advantage that Lyon have now taken by virtue of their three away goals. Amorim was confident that his squad could put together a great performance in front of their home supporters.
“We are at the same level [as Lyon] for the next game, so we have a game with our fans now and will give all we have to go to the next stage,” – Ruben Amorim
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