Onana Criticized After Late Error Costs Manchester United Crucial Europa League Win

Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana is once again in the spotlight following a costly error in the final moments of their UEFA Europa League quarterfinal first leg, which ended in a 2-2 draw against Lyon on Thursday night.

Sky Sports reports that the Cameroonian shot-stopper was responsible for both of Lyon’s goals at the Groupama Stadium. Onana first misread a 25th-minute free-kick from Thiago Almada, allowing Lyon to take the lead. Then, in added time, he failed to properly hold a low effort from Georges Mikautadze, spilling it into the path of Rayan Cherki, who capitalized to level the match.

According to Opta, this performance puts Onana at the top of a worrying stat — he now leads all Premier League goalkeepers this season in errors directly leading to goals across all competitions, with a total of eight.

United had fought back impressively after falling behind. Just before halftime, young defender Leny Yoro scored his first goal for the club, redirecting a volley from Manuel Ugarte into the net. Bruno Fernandes later provided a looping cross that Joshua Zirkzee headed in to give United a late 2-1 advantage. However, Cherki’s stoppage-time equalizer erased their hard-earned lead.

Despite growing criticism from fans, United boss Rúben Amorim defended his goalkeeper. “If you look at the season, I’ve made more mistakes than him in recent months,” Amorim told the BBC. “There’s nothing I can say to Andre at this moment that will help. The most important thing is to remain natural, and when the time comes, I’ll pick the best XI. But I’m really confident in Andre.”

Still, the pressure is mounting, and speculation around Onana’s future at Old Trafford is intensifying. Reports indicate that Manchester United are considering alternatives, with Espanyol’s promising 23-year-old goalkeeper Joan Garcia among those being closely monitored after a standout season in La Liga.

Onana, who joined the Red Devils from Inter Milan last summer, has had a rocky start to life in Manchester. While his reflexes and shot-stopping ability have shown flashes of brilliance, recurring errors have led to increasing doubts over his role as United’s long-term number one.

With the decisive second leg against Lyon approaching, all attention will be on Amorim’s lineup and whether Onana retains his place between the sticks.