Andre Onana proved Nemanja Matic right as Manchester United drew away to Olympique Lyonnais
Andre Onana had a night to forget at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais as Manchester United were held to a 2-2 draw by Lyon in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarterfinal. The Cameroon international, who has come under fire throughout the season for costly mistakes, was once again at the heart of the drama for all the wrong reasons.
Ahead of the tie, Onana boldly claimed that Lyon were no match for Manchester United, an assertion that drew swift criticism. Former United midfielder Nemanja Matić slammed the keeper, calling him “the worst goalkeeper in Manchester United’s history” and advising him to let his performances speak for themselves before making such statements. Onana hit back, reminding Matic that he has already won more silverware at United than the Serbian.
But when it came to backing up his words on the pitch, Onana faltered. Midway through the first half, he misjudged a curling free kick from Thiago Almada that should have been dealt with comfortably. Almada’s delivery bent wickedly toward goal, and although Lyon’s Nicolas Tagliafico attempted a touch, the ball flew through untouched. Onana’s hesitation and poor positioning proved costly, as the ball nestled into the back of the net. The home crowd, already charged up, jeered Onana relentlessly after the error—mocking every touch he took from then on.
Numbers don’t lie
Meanwhile, Opta, via X, has revealed a damning statistic: since the start of last season, no goalkeeper has made more errors leading to goals for Premier League clubs in all competitions than Manchester United’s Andre Onana, who has committed eight costly mistakes. The Cameroon international has conceded 54 goals and kept 10 clean sheets in 42 appearances across all competitions this season (as of April 11, 2025). These numbers only add to the growing scrutiny surrounding Onana’s performances at Old Trafford.
It was unwise of Andre Onana to make such bold statements ahead of a crucial European tie, especially when his performances on the pitch haven’t lived up to the talk. Confidence is important, but it must be backed by consistency and results. When a player delivers on the field, a touch of arrogance can be forgiven, but in Onana’s case, the repeated blunders throughout the season have only undermined his credibility.
His costly mistakes have hurt Manchester United on numerous occasions, and his recent stats paint a worrying picture. At this point, the club should seriously consider moving him on in the summer. Based on form alone, it’s hard to argue that the Cameroon international still deserves to be United’s first-choice goalkeeper.
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With the draw leaving the tie finely poised, it’s another dent in what’s become a season full of questions for Manchester United and their under-fire goalkeeper. Somewhere, Nemanja Matic might just have allowed himself a knowing smirk.