Onana’s Mistakes Cost United as Lyon Snatch Late Equaliser in Europa League Tie
Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final first leg against Lyon ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw, with goalkeeper Andre Onana facing intense scrutiny following a pair of costly mistakes that allowed Lyon to snatch a last-minute equaliser. The result leaves the tie finely balanced as the teams head into the return leg at Old Trafford next week.
Onana, embroiled in a pre-match war of words with Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic, had been labelled “one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United history” by his former teammate. The criticism was ignited by Onana’s bold claim that United were “way better” than their French opponents, a remark that led to Matic’s sharp retort. However, it was Onana’s performance on the pitch that took centre stage, as two significant errors directly led to Lyon’s goals.
The first mistake came midway through the first half when Onana failed to properly deal with Thiago Almada’s bouncing free-kick. Despite the ball appearing relatively straightforward, Onana reacted too late and allowed the shot to slip through his fingers and into the net, giving Lyon a 1-0 lead.
United responded just before halftime through Leny Yoro, who scored his first goal for the club. Reacting quickly to a volley from Manuel Ugarte, Yoro diverted the ball into the bottom corner to restore parity. The second half saw substitute Joshua Zirkzee give United a brief lead with a powerful header from a Bruno Fernandes cross in the 88th minute, seemingly securing a crucial away victory.
But disaster struck for Onana in the final moments of the game. With the match approaching injury-time, Onana spilled a shot from Georges Mikautadze straight into the path of Rayan Cherki, who tapped in the rebound to level the score. The mistake capped a painful night for the goalkeeper, who now has nine errors leading to goals since joining Manchester United, the most of any Premier League keeper over that period.
Onana’s blunders have compounded an already challenging season, with United struggling both in the league and in Europe. Manager Ruben Amorim, when asked whether Onana should be dropped for the upcoming Premier League clash against Newcastle, refused to commit, opting instead to focus on preparing for the second leg against Lyon. “It’s important for Andre to focus on the next game in the Premier League, then think about the second leg,” Amorim said. “We will continue to do the same things – training, seeing the game, and trying to choose the best XI to win every match.”
Despite Onana’s struggles, United’s overall performance showed signs of promise, with moments of quality throughout the match. However, the team’s poor finishing was once again evident, with Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho both squandering chances. Hojlund, in particular, has now scored just one goal in his last 25 appearances, and Garnacho’s drought continues with only one goal from his past 28 games.
The atmosphere in Lyon was further marred by an incident involving Manchester United supporters, who were subjected to pepper spray by local police after the final whistle. Fans were reportedly held back for over an hour, and many suffered the harsh effects of the spray as some attempted to leave the designated away section. Social media footage captured the distressing scenes, with supporters criticizing the police’s heavy-handed approach. Manchester United officials are reportedly investigating the incident, with the Manchester United Supporters Trust urging fans to submit any evidence of the tear-gassing.
