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Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana had a night to forget as two costly mistakes allowed Lyon to snatch a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday.
The Cameroon international allowed Thiago Almada’s soft free-kick to slip past him, just one day after being criticised by former United midfielder Nemanja Matic, who now plays for Lyon, calling Onana “one of the worst goalkeepers” in the club’s history.
Teenage defender Leny Yoro equalised just before half-time, and Joshua Zirkzee’s header in the 88th minute appeared to have won the game for United at Groupama Stadium.
However, Onana failed to hold Georges Mikautadze’s low shot in stoppage time, and Rayan Cherki capitalised on the rebound to poke the ball home, leaving the tie finely balanced ahead of next week’s return leg at Old Trafford.
United manager Ruben Amorim was quick to defend Onana and shifted focus to the second leg.
“It can happen. If you play football, and we play a lot of games, mistakes are part of the game,” he said. “There is nothing I can say to Andre right now that will help.”
“We have one more game to change everything, and that should be our focus,” he added.
United’s hopes of rebuilding a squad that risks finishing with their worst top-flight position since relegation in 1974 now hinge on securing a return to the Champions League.
Winning the Europa League is their only pathway to qualify for the competition, and failure to do so could cost United over £100 million ($127.6 million) at a time when the club’s financial position is already precarious.
This encounter marked the first meeting between the two clubs since their clash in the last 16 of the 2007-08 Champions League, when both teams were at their peak. United went on to win their third European crown that year, while Lyon claimed their final French title in a streak of seven consecutive victories.
No player has symbolised United’s domestic struggles this season more than Rasmus Hojlund, whose five goals in Europe have outnumbered his three in the Premier League. The Denmark striker squandered a clear-cut chance, horribly scuffing a shot wide from Patrick Dorgu’s cross as United began to pose a threat. Lyon defender Moussa Niakhate also made a vital clearance, diverting a crisp Bruno Fernandes effort over the bar.
Onana in the Spotlight
United’s early momentum was halted when Onana failed to keep out Almada’s free-kick, which had already been a point of focus after Matic’s criticism of the goalkeeper. The former United midfielder’s comments were made in response to Onana’s remarks that the Red Devils were “way better” than their opponents, a statement Amorim insisted had been taken out of context.
Lyon’s fans jeered Onana’s every touch, and their celebrations were well-earned when the goalkeeper mishandled Almada’s curling free-kick, allowing it to bounce off his gloves and nestle in the far corner of the net.
United equalised just before the break as Manuel Ugarte hooked the ball back into the box after Lucas Perri punched away Fernandes’ free-kick, with Yoro glancing home his first goal for the club.
Lyon had their chances in the second half. Alexandre Lacazette skewed wide just after coming on, following brilliant work from Mikautadze, who had weaved past several defenders. Corentin Tolisso also tested Onana but shot tamely, while Perri reacted sharply to tip a shot from Garnacho over the bar. Casemiro’s header from the resulting corner went narrowly wide, and Lacazette missed another good opportunity for Lyon.
United appeared to have taken control when Zirkzee powered a header past Perri from Fernandes’ brilliant cross, but the drama wasn’t over. In the fifth minute of added time, Onana’s error allowed Cherki to pounce on the rebound and level the score.
“I think we deserved even more than a draw. We played really well, but we know there is a second leg to come, and we will go there to win,” Cherki told Canal Plus.
