Andre Onana failed to prove Nemanja Matic wrong. Now Man Utd can’t risk any more mistakes

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“If David de Gea, Peter Schmeichel or (Edwin) Van der Sar said that then I would question myself, but if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s modern history, he needs to show that before he says it. So we will see.”

Nemanja Matic laid down the gauntlet. Andre Onana’s attempts at collecting it went awry. The United goalkeeper inadvertently sparked off a war of words with the Lyon midfielder earlier in the week when he claimed the Premier League side were “way better” than the French side. His two unfortunately timed goalkeeping errors strengthened a tornado that threatens to lay waste to United’s season.

All eyes were on Onana in Lyon from minute one of this Europa League quarter-final. The pre-match coin toss saw him playing in front of the “Bad Gones” Lyon Ultras, with the vociferous crowd booing his every touch of the ball. Assessing goalkeepers with statistics is difficult — no metric can quantify the power of a verbal warning to a centre-back when the opposition closes down. Still, Onana’s less-than-stellar European record with the club did little to settle nerves amid a febrile atmosphere. Opponents often take shots from speculative range against the goalkeeper, looking to test his wrists and focus as soon as possible.

Thiago Almada’s free-kick was Lyon’s first shot on target on Thursday night. While his curling effort carried some danger, Onana’s goalkeeping bore similarities to mistakes made in a disastrous outing away to Galatasaray last season. Again, he was slow when reacting to a ball directed to the back post. Again, his body placement was slack when his team needed him to be solid. The free-kick trickled through his hands, putting Lyon ahead and putting United on the back foot.

This season has become “Europa League triumph or bust” for Ruben Amorim. His team teetered on the brink of disaster. A goal from Leny Yoro, headed in on the stroke of half-time, gave his side a valuable foothold. Another monumental midfield performance from Bruno Fernandes helped United take the initiative in the second half, before Joshua Zirkzee delivered what could have been an important winner in the 88th minute.

United’s players react to Onana’s late concession (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Yet Onana found himself the unwitting protagonist right before the final curtain. An unfortunate tendency to parry saves into dangerous areas manifested itself at the worst possible moment. Georges Mikautadze’s shot was pushed back into the six-yard box and the path of a grateful Rayan Cherki.

There should be more to a Europa League quarter-final than a verbal tete-a-tete between a United goalkeeper and a former United midfielder who spent the first leg as an unused substitute. It was an exchange that Amorim looked to downplay before the game. Paulo Fonseca offered a similar dismissal after the final whistle.

“It was not a war,” Fonseca said. “These are normal situations in football. It was not a strategy by Nemanja Matic at all. I think that’s something normal. Of course, we need to respect everyone’s opinion and I think Nemanja and Andre Onana forgot about this tonight, so everything is good now.”

There is no war between Lyon and United, but it was an interesting tactical match-up nonetheless. Amorim was quick to key in on the different physical threat Lyon pose when compared to Real Sociedad in the round of 16, and United spent the game’s opening hour looking to nullify their midfield machine.

Casemiro continued from where he left off in Sunday’s derby and looks better for Amorim’s improved understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. When United are out of possession, the Brazilian often finds himself surrounded by team-mates in a more compact defensive shape. His midfield partnership with Manuel Ugarte brings some of the bite seen in Amorim’s successful Sporting CP team, but it lacks the consistent ball progression the head coach desires.

Amorim’s temporary solution comes in second-half substitutions. In recent matches, the head coach has often swapped Ugarte for an additional forward when he requires a goal. Against Lyon, he was replaced by Mason Mount in the 72nd minute, with Fernandes dropping into midfield. The introduction of Zirkzee for Rasmus Hojlund in the 63rd minute and Kobbie Mainoo for Alejandro Garnacho in the 83rd re-orientated United’s play.

Zirkzee scores what could have been a winner for United (Olivier Chassignole/AFP via Getty Images)

Their attack shifted. It was no longer haphazard and imprecise. The game’s final stages brought quicker, one-touch football.  Zirkzee’s goal looked to be a moment of glowing radiance to puncture a season of gloom. There are players slowly establishing themselves as ready for the upcoming challenge.

Some will be challenged in the weeks and months to come. Onana’s late error turned a near-famous win into a disappointing draw. Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton were both spotted offering their teammate some words of comfort at full-time, but there is work to be done if he — and United — are to find some success this season.

“[It is] important to focus on the next game for the league and then think about the second leg against Lyon,” said Amorim to TNT Sports at full-time. “When one player has a mistake, all the team has a mistake, so we continue like that.”

United will need to rally themselves before next Thursday’s second leg. The road to the Europa League final in Bilbao is short, but filled with hazards. They cannot risk any more mistakes.

(Top photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

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