Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana had a night to forget as two critical errors saw Lyon snatch a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash on Thursday.
The Cameroon international allowed a soft free-kick from Thiago Almada to skip past him the day after being called “one of the worst goalkeepers” in United’s history in a pre-match spat involving the club’s former midfielder Nemanja Matic, now with Lyon.
Teenage defender Leny Yoro equalised just before half-time and Joshua Zirkzee’s header in the 88th minute looked to have won the game for United at Groupama Stadium.
But Onana failed to hold Georges Mikautadze’s low shot deep into stoppage time and Rayan Cherki poked home the rebound, leaving the tie in the balance ahead of the return clash at Trafford next week.
United ability to rebuild a squad in danger of the club’s worst top-flight finish since relegation in 1974, likely hinges on sealing a return to the Champions League.
Winning the Europa League is the only way they can qualify for the elite competition. Failure to do so is predicted to cost United at least £100 million ($127.6 million) at a time when the club’s financial headroom is already minimal.
In a measure of how far both clubs, particularly United have fallen, this was their first meeting since the last 16 of the 2007-08 Champions League.
Back then, both were at their peaks. United went on to win their third European crown. Lyon scooped the last of seven consecutive French titles.
Perhaps no player has encapsulated United’s domestic woes this term more than Rasmus Hojlund, whose five goals in Europe outnumber the three he’s managed in the Premier League.
The Denmark striker scuffed an inviting chance horribly wide from Patrick Dorgu’s cut-back as United gradually began to threaten, with Lyon defender Moussa Niakhate getting a key touch to divert a crisp Bruno Fernandes effort over the bar.
Any momentum United had built dissipated when Onana failed to keep out Almada’s free-kick. The goalkeeper was in the spotlight after Matic’s jibe.
The ex-United midfielder’s stinging rebuke came in response to Onana claiming the Red Devils were “way better” than their opponents, comments that manager Ruben Amorim insisted were taken out of context.
Having loudly jeered his every touch, Lyon fans revelled in Onana’s misfortune as he allowed Almada’s curling set-piece to bounce off his gloves and nestle in the far corner.
United equalised at the end of the half as Manuel Ugarte hooked the ball back into the box after Lucas Perri punched away Fernandes’ free-kick, and Yoro glanced home his first goal for the club.
Alexandre Lacazette sliced wide moments after coming on early in the second half following brilliant work from Mikautadze, who weaved past a series of defenders.
Corentin Tolisso pierced the United defence but shot tamely at Onana. Perri had to react sharply to tip over from Garnacho as the Argentine connected with Dorgu’s cross.
Casemiro headed the resulting corner narrowly wide before Lacazette blazed over another good chance for Lyon, but the drama was far from complete.
Bruno Fernandes’ pinpoint cross for Zirkzee’s late goal seemed to have sealed a hard-fought win, but Onana’s second blunder allowed Cherki to pounce and level the score, setting up a tense second leg at Old Trafford.
AFP
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