Manchester United came from behind to squander a winning scenario in France, drawing 2-2 in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final with Lyon.
Goals from Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee cancelled Thiago Almada’s tame opener before a second Andre Onana error of the evening allowed Rayan Cherki to salvage a draw in the final seconds.
Disappointment will be the consensus amongst many travelling Reds, considering the nature of the goals conceded.
However, despite familiar errors, underwhelming individual performances and a startling lack of confidence in the final third, Ruben Amorim will fancy his chances in the return leg at Old Trafford in a week.
Much of the conversation ahead of kickoff focused on a war of words between Nemanja Matic and Onana, and, unfortunately for the man between the sticks, the veteran Serbian has had the last laugh.
A night to forget for Onana in Manchester United draw
Amorim retained the starting XI that began the Manchester Derby, the first time he hasn’t altered his selection since arriving in England.
Unsurprisingly, a partisan Parc Olympique Lyonnais was in a raucous voice from the outset, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe watching on eagerly in attendance.
His side had never tasted defeat in competitive action inside the arena, fighting back to draw in their two previous encounters against the Ligue 1 outfit.
Lyon enjoyed most of the possession throughout the opening quarter, but it was largely idle control with little to no final-third intent. The first opportunity fell to United after 18 minutes when a visibly timid Rasmus Hojlund scuffed his effort from a Patrick Dorgu delivery.
Inevitably, the home side opened the scoring after 25 minutes when a routine free-kick inexplicably found its way into the net, signalling an outcry of celebrations within the ground.
Almada’s curled delivery bounced in the area, beating every man before Onana misjudged the flight, and his attempted palming offered little defence for a routine moment. It was an eight-error leading to a goal since his arrival in the North West.
Despite creating the better of the game’s opportunities, the latest in a long list of self-destructive blunders left the visitors slightly shaken, and a familiar vulnerability surfaced momentarily within this Manchester United side.
But, a dogged determination has been growing under Amorim, and a Yoro header returned parity with seconds of the half remaining, following a Manuel Ugarte volley after an initial Bruno Fernandes set piece.
Although there was little to applaud from an attacking perspective throughout the half, the defensive interpretations of Noussair Mazraoui, Ugarte and Yoro offered a reassuring sense of calmness to build upon during the second 45.
There was an undeniable sense of dejection in the ground following the restart, with Les Gones licking their wounds after the late setback. This was evident in their players, with a notable drop in tempo.
To their credit, Amorim’s men maintained composure and were about as expansive as you could expect from a visiting team in a knockout encounter.
Zirkzee replaced an underwhelming Hojlund shortly after the hour mark, with the goal-shy Danish international cutting a shadow of the figure who set Premier League goalscoring history last season.
Alejandro Garnacho endured another frustrating evening in attack, but he came close to putting his side ahead after 79 minutes following another sublime delivery by Dorgu. The Argentine did well to guide the effort on goal, but Lucas Perri was on hand to deny.
Mason Mount, Victor Lindelof and Kobbie Mainoo entered the field in the final quarter, with the latter making his first appearance since February.
To the delight of the travelling support, Zirkzee headed home a magnificent Fernandes’ looping cross in the 88th minute, solidifying what looked like an unprecedented lead from Groupama Stadium.
However, with the final play following five minutes of injury time, Onana parried Georges Mikautadze’s shot directly into the path of Cherki, who expertly steered the rebound home.
While a draw is far from a travesty for Amorim and his team, the manner of the goals conceded will require much attention and the inevitability of enhanced scrutiny will surface.
The sides meet again in a week, with United turning their attention to a Premier League trip to Newcastle on Sunday.
How do you feel following another 2-2 draw between Manchester United in Lyon, and will Onana retain his place in the starting XI?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments or across our social channels.
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