Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is set to put his trust back in Andre Onana for the decisive second leg of the Europa League quarter-final clash against Lyon at Old Trafford.
Amorim backs Onana for 2nd leg
After being benched for the weekend’s 4-1 loss to Newcastle United—following two costly mistakes in the first leg—Onana is expected to return between the posts for Thursday’s must-win encounter.
Despite a shaky season and growing scrutiny, Amorim appears to believe that Onana remains the better option over second-choice Altay Bayındır, whose outing against Newcastle did little to solidify his case.
Trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Amorim has already made the call to start the Cameroonian, a move that signals both faith and necessity given the magnitude of the fixture.
First-leg errors haunt United
In the first leg in France, United were twice undone by Onana’s errors. Lyon’s opener came from a routine Thiago Almada free-kick that somehow slipped past the goalkeeper, who completely misjudged the flight of the ball.
Just when it seemed United had secured a vital away win with a late Joshua Zirkzee header, Onana parried a tame shot straight into the path of Rayan Cherki, who slotted home in stoppage time to level the tie at 2-2.
Matić feud adds fuel to the fire
Off the pitch, Onana has also been in the spotlight due to a public spat with former United midfielder Nemanja Matić, now at Lyon. Onana’s pre-match claim that United were “way better” than Lyon was met with a harsh rebuke from Matić, who questioned Onana’s legacy at the club. The tension only escalated after the first leg, with Matić throwing subtle digs online.
With 43 appearances and 10 clean sheets this season, all eyes are now on Onana as United push to advance into the semi-finals. Fans will count on the 29-year-old to regain composure in a high-stakes European encounter. (Transfermarkt)
