Andre Onana committed two goalkeeping howlers as a last-gasp equaliser left Manchester United to settle for a 2-2 draw with Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie.
Onana was thrust into the spotlight during the build-up to clash at Groupama Stadium when former United midfielder Nemanja Matic, now with Lyon, labelled him as one of the worst goalkeepers in the club’s history.
The Cameroon international fired back at Matic on social media, but only added to his reputation as an error-prone goalkeeper in the 25th minute when he allowed an innocuous free-kick from Thiago Almada to sneak into the bottom-right corner.
Lenny Yoro levelled in first-half stoppage time and, after Lyon wasted a string of second-half opportunities, Joshua Zirkzee looked to have given United the edge heading into next week’s return leg at Old Trafford.
But there was to be a 95th-minute twist in the tale when Onana spilled Almada’s relatively tame shot on the turn straight into the path of Rayan Cherki to tap home a simple finish.
LYON WITH A LATE GOAL! 💥
Andre Onana's save is spilled into a dangerous area and Rayan Cherki makes no mistake ⚽
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/63a9d5BJs1
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 10, 2025
Lyon v Manchester United
United had the better of the opening exchanges and saw some early chances go begging as Rasmus Hojlund failed to proper contact with a close-range shot and Bruno Fernandes had an effort deflected over.
But United fell behind in frustratingly familiar fashion when Almada’s free-kick sailed over everyone in the United box and inexplicably bounced under the gloves of Onana, who once again made a mess of a seemingly simple save.
Lyon failed to take control of the game after the opener, though, and they were punished on the stroke of half-time.
Lucas Perri could only punch Fernandes’ free-kick as far as Yoro, whose first-time effort from the edge of the box looped beyond the Lyon goalkeeper and into the bottom-left corner.
The hosts were much more threatening after the break, substitute Alexandre Lacazette volleying wide from Georges Mikautadze’s pull back after incredible footwork from the Georgian and Corentin Tolisso firing straight at Onana at the end of a superb jinking run into the box.
Warning shots from United in the second half were in short supply until Garnacho forced Perri into a reaction save from point-blank range.
Still, it was Lyon who continued to make the running, but the hosts appeared set to pay the price for errant finishing from Cherki and Lacazette when Zirkzee met Fernandes’ perfectly weighted cross with a fine far-post header in the 88th minute.
Yet that would not be the final say, as the game ended with Matic receiving more vindication for his controversial comments as Onana gifted Lyon parity heading into next week’s return leg at Old Trafford.
