Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final clash with Lyon remains evenly poised after a 2-2 draw in France, where goalkeeper Andre Onana was at fault for both opposition goals.
Lyon’s first strike came after 25 minutes when Thiago Almada sent in a wide free kick. Onana hesitated and failed to get a strong hand to the ball, which bounced in front of him and slipped through his grasp into the net.
Just before the break, United managed to draw level. Leny Yoro scored his first goal for the club by reacting quickly to a shot from Manuel Ugarte, redirecting it into the bottom corner to restore parity.
Substitute Joshua Zirkzee appeared to have secured a late victory for the visitors with a header from a Bruno Fernandes cross in the 88th minute. However, Lyon responded in dramatic fashion in stoppage time.
Onana mishandled a strike from Georges Mikautadze, allowing Rayan Cherki to tap in the rebound with the final touch of the game. This marked the eighth time since the start of last season that Onana has made a mistake directly leading to a goal – more than any other goalkeeper currently in the Premier League.
Finishing struggles continue for Red Devils
United, currently sitting 13th in the Premier League standings, are likely to rely on winning the Europa League as their path to next season’s Champions League. Despite showing structure and intent in Lyon, their recurring problems in front of goal persisted.
In the first half, Rasmus Hojlund sent a cutback from Patrick Dorgu well wide. Bruno Fernandes saw an effort deflected over the bar, and Casemiro’s acrobatic attempt went straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.
After the break, Alejandro Garnacho forced a save from a Dorgu delivery, and Casemiro narrowly missed with a header from a corner. The lack of a clinical edge was again evident.
Both Hojlund and Garnacho looked short of belief. Hojlund has found the net only once in his past 25 appearances for the club, while Garnacho has managed one goal in his last 28 matches.
Manager Ruben Amorim made a late substitution, bringing back Kobbie Mainoo, who returned from a muscle injury that had kept him out since February. The second leg will be held at Old Trafford next Thursday at 20:00 BST.
