The match began with Lyon on the strong foot. They didn’t afford Manchester United any chance to hold onto possession, and United were chasing for much of the first half. Onana was called into action early on in the first half, and he stood firm.
This match was a chance for Onana to refute Matic’s claim about him being the worst goalkeeper in Manchester United history. If you’re a Manchester United fan, you certainly would’ve hoped Onana would find a way to deliver an outstanding performance. But that was not the case.
In the 25th minute, Onana showed us why Matic called his bluff. A free kick turned shot from Almada went all the way in and from long range. The free kick from the Argentine midfielder flew past all the Lyon players in the box and beat Onana at the far post. The free kick wasn’t the best we’ve seen in the past week, but Onana was just too slow to even punch it away.
With United shocked and the Lyon fans bouncing with joy, Lyon players began a bit of showboating. Cherki and Mikautadze danced around Manchester United players but failed to test Onana.
Manchester United were however solid in their playing style. Although they lacked the finishing touch, they put the Lyon defense under pressure when they had the ball, and with one minute of added time to go in the first half, they were rewarded. A free kick from Fernandes was repelled by Perri, but it is swung back into the fray, and Yoro put his head to it, directing it back to goal. The ball goes past the keeper who can’t react quickly. At the dying moments of the first half, United got back in the game, setting up a fierce second half.
In the second half, United showed more attacking intent. They pressed better, passed better and marked better. They gave Lyon much to worry about, but the home team were ready for whatever United threw at them. Lyon were wasteful in front of goal. Mikautadze, Tolisso and Cherki all had chances to put Lyon ahead but failed to give the French team the lead.
Once again for Manchester United, Garnacho was wasteful in front of goal. The Argentine forward had a chance to put Manchester United in front, but his effort was played directly at Perri, who hit the ball over the bar. He also had a chance to play Fernandes through on goal, but the pass just stretched Fernandes a little bit, missing out on the chance to put United in front.
In the 89th minute, Manchester United finally got a breakthrough. Substitute Joshua Zirkzee latched onto a pinpoint cross from Bruno Fernandes to put United ahead. The Red Devils had struggled all night with almost nothing to show. Zirkee’s goal in the 89th minute gave huge relief to the Manchester side.
The Red Devils had a plan to see out the game, but Onana had other plans. The one thing he did well on the night was prove Matic right about him (Onana) being the worst keeper in Manchester United’s history. With less than a minute of stoppage time to go, Lyon manufactured a last-gasp chance, and the resulting shot was straight at Onana. You would expect him to hold onto it, but he spills. Onana spills the ball and Cherki runs onto it in a flash, drawing Lyon level, with the last kick of the game.
Pain, agony, and frustration are the only words we can use to describe the emotions of Manchester United players and fans. They had managed a scrappy win, but Onana’s incompetence turned the game on its head. This result means United have it all to do at home in the second leg. For now, Lyon and Matic will walk with a half-hearted smile.
