Manchester United,.Lyon FC Settle for 2-2 Draw

Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final tie against Lyon is hanging in the balance after a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Groupama Stadium on Thursday. The match was marked by two costly mistakes from United goalkeeper Andre Onana, who had a night to forget.

The Cameroon international was in the spotlight after being criticized by Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic, a former United player, in the lead-up to the match. Matic had called Onana “one of the worst goalkeepers” in United’s history, and the 27-year-old’s performance did little to silence his critics.

Onana’s first mistake came when he allowed Thiago Almada’s soft free-kick to skip past him, giving Lyon the lead. The goalkeeper was unable to keep out the curling set-piece, which bounced off his gloves and into the far corner.

United equalized just before half-time through teenage defender Leny Yoro, who glanced home his first goal for the club. The visitors thought they had won the game in the 88th minute when Joshua Zirkzee powered a header past Lucas Perri, but Onana’s second mistake of the night allowed Lyon to snatch a draw.

Deep into stoppage time, Onana failed to hold Georges Mikautadze’s low shot, and Rayan Cherki pounced on the rebound to level the score. The draw leaves the tie in the balance ahead of the return leg at Old Trafford next week.

The result is a significant blow to United’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. The Red Devils are struggling in the Premier League and are in danger of recording their worst top-flight finish since relegation in 1974. Winning the Europa League is their only realistic chance of qualifying for the elite competition, and failure to do so is predicted to cost the club at least £100 million.

United’s performance was marked by missed opportunities, with Rasmus Hojlund scuffing an inviting chance horribly wide in the first half. The Denmark striker has struggled to find his form in the Premier League, but has been more prolific in Europe.

Lyon, on the other hand, will be pleased with their performance, particularly in the second half. Alexandre Lacazette sliced wide moments after coming on, and Corentin Tolisso pierced the United defense but shot tamely at Onana.

The draw sets up a thrilling return leg at Old Trafford, where United will need to improve their performance if they are to progress to the semi-finals. Onana, in particular, will need to bounce back from his nightmare performance, which has left United’s Champions League hopes hanging in the balance.