Manchester United found themselves trailing early in their clash against Lyon after a free-kick goal from Thiago Almada capitalised on a poor judgment from Andre Onana.
The French side took the lead in the 25th minute after Noussair Mazraoui conceded a soft foul on the right flank.
Almada stepped up to take the set-piece and whipped in a delivery that floated over everyone and nestled into the back of the net, catching Onana completely off-guard.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper misjudged the flight of the ball, allowing it to bounce into the far corner—a goal that looked entirely preventable.
The goal came at the worst possible time for Onana, who was already under the spotlight following his pre-match comments war of words with Lyon’s Nemanja Matic.
Onana had suggested that Manchester United were a better side than the French club—a remark that didn’t sit well with the Matic.
Matic, a former Manchester United player himself, hit back with a brutal jibe aimed at the goalie, calling him “one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United’s history”. He said:
“You know, I respect everyone but to say that then you need to give the answer. If you are one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United’s history, you need to take care what you’re talking about.”
“If it was Van der Sar, Schmeichel or De Gea saying that, then I would question myself. But you need to have cover to say something like that.”
In response to Matic’s jab, Onana took to X, denying any disrespect towards Lyon and firing back at Matic by highlighting his silverware win with United, suggesting that not everyone can say the same—a clear dig at the Serbian midfielder.
Despite the early setback, Manchester United responded well and managed to equalise before the break through Lery Yoro, bringing the game back to 1-1 at half-time.
The equaliser keeps the tie finely poised heading into the second half.
