It was another nervy night for Andre Onana between the sticks, but Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim isn’t pointing fingers at least, not at his goalkeeper.
After a 2-2 draw against Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final, all eyes were on Onana for the wrong reasons.
The United keeper was directly involved in both of Lyon’s goals, drawing heavy criticism from fans and pundits alike. But Amorim had his back.
“If you look at this season, I’ve made more mistakes than him,” said the Portuguese coach, who took over at United in November. “There’s nothing I can say to Andre right now that will make it better. What matters is being natural, supporting him, and picking the best team when the time comes.”
“When one player makes a mistake, all the team makes a mistake so we continue like this”.
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 10, 2025
Ruben Amorim continues to back Andre Onana following talk around his performance tonight 💪
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Two Costly Errors, One Big Problem
Onana’s tough night started in the 25th minute when he misjudged Thiago Almada’s free-kick. Expecting a deflection, he reacted late and the ball bounced past him and into the net.
Not long after United fought back to take the lead, Onana slipped again. In stoppage time, he spilled a shot from Georges Mikautadze, gifting Rayan Cherki an easy tap-in to equalize.
Former England midfielder Aaron Lennon didn’t hold back on BBC Radio 5 Live. “Two massive mistakes,” he said. “He has to save both. He’s cost United tonight.”
Amorim, however, refused to isolate the blame. “When one player makes a mistake, the whole team makes it. We move forward together.”
Matic vs. Onana: War of Words
The pressure was already mounting before kick-off, after a spicy exchange between Onana and former United midfielder Nemanja Matic.
The Serb, now at Lyon, didn’t hold back in an interview, calling Onana “statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United history.”
It came after Onana boldly claimed United were “way better” than Lyon — a statement that aged poorly by the end of the match.
Onana was loudly booed during the warm-up in France, and jeered every time he touched the ball. Despite celebrating passionately when United briefly took the lead late in the game, his costly blunder minutes later overshadowed any heroics.
So… Is He Really That Bad?
The stats don’t help his case. Since joining United, Onana has made more errors leading to goals (eight) than any other Premier League keeper.
He also holds the worst minutes-per-goal-conceded ratio among all United goalkeepers with at least 10 league appearances. Ouch.
But it’s not all doom and gloom — according to Opta, he ranks second in the Premier League for goals prevented this season, only behind Everton’s Jordan Pickford. That means he’s also making big saves — just not consistently enough to avoid the heat.
All Eyes on Old Trafford
With United stuck in 13th place in the Premier League, winning the Europa League might be their only ticket to Champions League football next season. They’ll host Lyon at Old Trafford next Thursday at 8pm BST, with everything to play for.
Onana’s critics may be getting louder, but Amorim is standing firm. Whether his faith pays off could define United’s season — and Onana’s future at the club.
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