Can Onana turn it around? Goalkeeper’s United career in the balance after costly mistakes | OneFootball

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana did not just let the ball slip through his gloves in Lyon – he let down a team that needed him most.

Onana’s glaring mistakes against Lyon turned a hard-earned 2-1 lead into a gut-wrenching 2-2 draw in the Europa League quarter-finals.

In the first half, he misjudged a routine free-kick from Thiago Almada and watched it skid past him into the net.

That alone would have drawn criticism. But to then parry a late Georges Mikautadze strike straight to Rayan Cherki for the equaliser in stoppage time was indefensible.

His error is inexcusable in the Europa League quarter-finals, with the tie hanging in the balance and United desperate for a way back to relevance.

Onana is not one to shy away from attention. Just 24 hours before kick-off, he felt it necessary to claim United were ‘way better’ than Lyon.

This prompted former United midfielder Nemanja Matic to label him one of the worst goalkeepers in the club’s history.

Ruben Amorim tried to deflect post-match attention, insisting ‘it can happen’ and that mistakes are part of the game.

But even he admitted the dressing room ‘felt really quiet’ – a telling contrast to his usual bullish tone.

United did many things well in Lyon. Leny Yoro’s first goal for the club was a proud moment, and Joshua Zirkzee’s header seemed to have sealed a crucial win. But those positives are now footnotes.Onana continues to draw the spotlight on himself, but not for the reasons goalkeepers should. He can no longer be protected by context or confidence. This is not a blip – it is a trend.If this is not the end of his United career, it surely has to be its ceiling. The margins are too fine, and the stakes too high. Onana’s errors are no longer unfortunate – they are unforgivable.