The build-up to Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final first leg with Lyon was dominated by a back-and-forth between Nemanja Matic and Andre Onana, and the spotlight on the latter is unlikely to diminish after his latest goalkeeping error.
Former United midfielder Matic, now of Lyon, attracted significant attention with his pre-match comments about Onana ahead of Thursday’s meeting at Groupama Stadium.
Matic labelled Onana “one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United history”, prompting the Cameroon international to hit back.
Onana posted on X (formerly Twitter): “I would never be disrespectful to another club. We know that tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent.
“We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud. At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can’t say the same.”
It's poor anticipation from Andre Onana as Lyon take an early lead through Thiago Almada 🎯
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/4qpau9jr8u
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 10, 2025
But, watching on from the bench, Matic will likely have felt vindicated in his critique as a huge Onana error gifted Lyon the lead.
Thiago Almada’s free-kick from the left-hand side flew past everyone in the United box, leaving Onana with what would should have been a routine save.
However, Onana inexplicably allowed the ball to slip under his gloves and into the bottom-right corner, his latest mistake ensuring he will be the subject of more intense scrutiny following another lowlight of his time with the club, which has been defined by bemusing errors.
