Ex-Man Utd Star Labels Andre Onana 'One of the Worst Goalkeepers in Club History' | OneFootball

Manchester United face Lyon in the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals and on the eve of the first leg on Thursday, the tie is is already boiling hot by comments made from players on both teams.

The war of words began when Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana spoke about their Europa League opponents after keeping a clean sheet in the Manchester derby last weekend in the Premier League.

"I think we are better than them, we just have to go there and show who we are," Onana said. "If we go there with a winning mentality and we are focused, stay compact and together and we follow the game plan we will be winning the game. Of course, it's not going to be easy, but I think we are way better than them."

Lyon midfielder and former Manchester United player, Nemanja Matić, was asked about Onana's comments in the pre-match press conference ahead of the first leg on Thursday. The 36-year-old didn't mince his words and ruthlessly clapped back at the Cameroon goalkeeper.

"If you're one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's history then you need to take care of what you are talking about," Matić said. "If David De Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar said that I would question myself, but if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's modern history, he needs to show that before he says it."

Since his arrival to Old Trafford, Onana has been far from the level that saw him play a key role in taking Inter Milan to the UEFA Champions League final in 2022-23. Through almost two full seasons at United, Onana has started 69 Premier League games, keeping 18 clean sheets and conceding 99 goals. The Red Devils finished eighth in his first season and are currently languishing in 13th this term.

However, Onana has achieved something that Matić never could during his five seasons as a Red Devil: winning a trophy. Onana helped United conquer the 2023-24 FA Cup over Manchester City. The Cameroon international responded to Matić's comments on social media and made sure to take a jab at the Serbian's trophy-less stint at Old Trafford.

With tensions sky-high, Manchester United and Lyon will take the field at the Groupama Stadium on Apr. 10 looking to strike first in the Europa League quarterfinals. The war-of-words only increased the expectations for what should be a thrilling contest between two sides hoping to return to the upper-echelon of European soccer.